Blackwater Is Dust
by koobre
Summary: With the old King dead and Yami now on the throne, the city of Lelania is in more of a tempest than ever; however, it's the demons inside a person that can leave the world scared. Yuugi tries to hide his hallucinations from Yami and his friends, but when his control begins to slip, what can the others do to help him? What if he is already too far gone to save? (Sequal to BW Is Red)
1. Chapter 1

(Koobre: I am saying this here so that I don't have to say it again: **I DO NOT OWN YU-GI-OH!** It belongs to Takahashi and only him. This is merely for fun. Enjoy the sequel to _Blackwater is Red_ )

 **Ch 1 If There Are Clouds, Then Dawn Is Red**

" _Mommy no!" Yuugi cried as he ran after his mother who held his toy bunny away from him. It had three rings stuffed onto its ear, "Nooooooo!" His face was red with rage and tears._

" _Stop, Yuugi! You're are seven years old. You shouldn't have this thing anymore." she kept walking towards the door._

" _It's because he left! You don't like that they don't like Bunny! Well, I don't like them!"_

" _ENOUGH!" Yuugi fell back to the floor while his mom towered over him, breathing heavily through her nose, "You've had this stupid thing for long enough, and it has cost much more than you think. So many of them have left because of this!" she shook the worn toy in the air, "And because of you! It's time to grow up!"_

The streets that once seemed empty only a day ago were now full of life. They were crowded, in fact. They were suffocating to be in.

The flow of people seemed to be endless, and Yuugi couldn't tell where anyone was going. Were they guiding him to the castle? Maybe to the portal? Perhaps it was back to the cliff and to the cave he had escaped from? Or were they all just wandering aimlessly? That's what he felt like he was doing. Is a sea of people, he was nothing more than driftwood, floating to an unknown location out of his control.

The blue lamps that illuminated the city did nothing to shed light on his situation. In fact, they were less of the gentle glow that provided safety and security but more the harsh light of an interrogator's lamp. They left nothing in the shadows and they blinded the true path. Yuugi had to keep his head down so that his eyes didn't strain from them.

Still, his feet kept walking forward through the crowd of Lelanians. They reached out and spoke to him, but his ears still rung with the words of the priestess only a few minutes ago.

" _Then I now pronounce you, King Yami, ruler of Lelania."_

"It's good to see you take the throne, my King."

"You had better not turn out to be like your mother."

"I know you will protect the Land of Lelania."

"Is this really what our goddess Mira wanted?"

Yuugi blinked as some words separated from the buzz around him and became clear. While he couldn't tell who was speaking them, he could at least see how they were affecting Yami: he was the only thing in focus. The new King was only a step in front of him, but Yuugi knew he wore a mask of indifference. Yami would hide his feelings until they were in private so that no one could witness how he really felt; at least, that was what Yuugi hoped he would do. Yuugi knew that this was not easy for his lover, and the signs were clear as day that he was afraid. Although, anyone would be in his situation.

 _Yuugi cried as he ran out of the house through the back door. His mother had left the house with his bunny in hand, and he knew that he would never see it again. He would never be able to decorate it with his mother's old wedding rings nor cling to it at night when he had nightmares. It was gone. It was gone forever..._

Most of the citizens departed once they were at the castle while others decided to follow them in. Even though it was a smaller crowd, it still felt like a sea of bodies were following them, expecting them to do something. Yuugi didn't know what to do, so he just kept walking. If he did, then everything would work out.

The castle had felt off for the last few days but it was like a whisper in the back of his mind. It was something that was easily ignored and pushed away, but now, Yuugi didn't know if he would be able to keep it down. It screamed at him. The halls seemed longer and hollow as if the were the corridors for a tomb and not a home. The blue hue from the crystals cast everything in sadness as opposed to the calm that it used to shed on everyone. Even walls and floors that once felt elegant and secure were overtaken by age and uncertainty. Everything felt like a shadow of its former self but nothing could bring it back to normal.

 _It started to rain. It started to rain hard. Puddles collected on the sidewalk as Yuugi continued to run with only the street lamps to guide his way. A car would sometimes drive by, creating a wave in the water that sprayed his face but otherwise, it was an empty town. There were no people rushing to get home. No teens taking a midnight stroll. No beggars pandering for money. It was empty._

" _My bunny," Yuugi cried, "My bunny, my bunny, my bunny."_

"My King."

Yuugi turned to the youngest council member who had stepped away from the crowd and towards him and Yami. The group had stopped and Yuugi noticed that they were standing outside of their bedroom door. Yami stood still for a moment before turning to look at her with a blank face.

She bowed her head, "The council wants to know if you will be joining the feast tonight or if you would rather your food be brought to your room."

"No, just bring the food here. No one else is to bother us for the rest of the night."

"Very well. Good night, my King."

With a final bow, the women backed away from the teens and down the hall with the other council members in tow. Some of the remaining Lelanians followed their lead and left the new King and his lover alone while others lingered for a few seconds. Uncertainty and questions lingered in their faces but one look at Yami's hard eyes told them that they were not going to get the answers they wanted tonight.

With the crowd finally gone and true silence replacing the blur of voices, Yuugi and Yami retreated into the bedroom.

 _The sidewalk gave way to muddy grass, but Yuugi didn't stop. He continued to run even as the mud cacked his socks and weighed his fragile legs down. He wanted to get away from it all and find something better. He wanted to get away from all the strange men his mother found, the noisy nights, the empty space in his heart. He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't understand anything._

Yuugi stalled by the door while Yami wandered into the room, "Why didn't you want to have dinner with them?"

"I figured everyone needed a break for tonight."

Yuugi looked at Yami's back, "This isn't the best way to make an impression as king."

Yami chuckled but refused to look at Yuugi, "Do you think I care? They don't even want me on their throne."

Yuugi shook his head, "That's not true. Some people are happy and proud to have you as their king."

Yami whirled around to face Yuugi, "But I don't want to be king," he glowered at his royal garb with pure disgust, "I don't want to be responsible for this world or its people. I don't want to be here!"

Amethyst eyes softened, "Yami…"

The new king ripped with fur cloak off of his shoulders and tossed it onto the floor. Then, he tore the plethora of gold and silvers rings, bracelets and necklaces from his body only for them to clang on the floor beside the fur pile. Finally, his pale hands gripped the crown on his head and removed it, but instead of throwing it to the floor, he stared at it.

"I don't want _this_ ," he whispered.

With a quiet sigh, Yuugi walked over to Yami silently. Once he was in front of the other, Yuugi reached out to take the crown. When Yami put up no resistance, Yuugi smiled and set the crown safely on the couch before turning all of his attention to his lover.

Yuugi reached up to cup Yami's face, "It's okay to be afraid, Yami. I'll be with you every step of the way."

Yami shook his head and grabbed Yuugi's wrist, pulling his hands away, "It's not…. It's just…."

Yuugi waited patiently for Yami to find his words. He knew he was in a worse position than himself and that many things were confusing him. If Yami needed a few seconds to arrange his thoughts, then Yuugi would wait.

It wasn't long until Yami lifted his head and locked eyes with Yuugi, "It's just….I can't."

"Can't rule?"

Yami shook his head as frustration overtook his face, "No, no I can rule I just can't…." he let out a disgruntled sigh, "I don't know."

"Hey," Yuugi waited until Yami was looking at him before continuing, "I don't know either. This is just something that we both have to figure out together, okay? If something comes up, we can work it out."

Yami sighed and shifted his eyes away, "I only it were that simple."

"Why can't it be?"

"Because nothing ever is, Yuugi," Yami retorted as he backed away, "Lelania isn't simple, people aren't simple, hell, not even Earth was simple." he looked out one of the windows with a forlorn expression and crossed his arms.

Yuugi took a calming breath before he attempted to talk, "Complexity is just a thought, you know. Something may seem impossible and complex but if you give it time, it can become simple."

Yami glanced over his shoulder, "Complex and impossible are two different things."

Yuugi clenched his fists, "Yami," irritation boiled in his stomach as he watched the new king stare out the window silently. Did he always have to make things so difficult? Did he always have to have something else to say on a matter? Could he never just let anything lie?

 _The ground beneath him gave way, causing Yuugi to slip and fall face first into the mud. As dirt and rain seeped his bones, Yuugi's body shook with frustration. He didn't understand. He couldn't understand. Why did his mom always have new men? Why did she take his bunny away? Why hadn't his dad come back? Why did he leave? Why wasn't he allowed to be happy? Why? Why? Why?!_

As Yuugi watched Yami, the heat in his face became softer and the strong emotions became fuzzy. His eyes softened and his muscles relaxed as his eyes jumped from the discarded clothes to the crown, and then back to Yami. Then to the bed, to the window, to the vanity, to the door, and to every little object in the room. The warm feeling began to grow and Yuugi couldn't hold back the smile which turned into soft giggles.

"Yuugi?"

The giggles grew louder until they were a full blown laugh. Yuugi gripped his sides as his laughter overtook him.

"Yuugi? Are you okay?"

Yuugi shook his head when he felt Yami standing in front of him. Instead of speaking, Yuugi unclipped his cloak and set it on the couch beside Yami's crown. Then he took off all of his jewelry and set that atop his cloak. The last thing he took off was his own tiara that he set on the other side of the king's crown.

"Hey, Yami?" Yuugi asked as his laughter began to quiet to a simple smile. His sparkling amethyst eyes locked onto concerned crimson, "Can things just be simple for tonight?"

Yami quirked an eyebrow, "How?"

Yuugi merely smiled as he closed the gap between the two of them and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck. Once their bodies were fully pressed against one another, Yuugi lowered Yami's head so that he could kiss him full on the lips. Both of their eyes fell closed as they relished in the feel of their lover. It didn't take long until Yami had his arms wrapped securely around Yuugi's waist.

With a smile, Yuugi kissed the corner of Yami's lips and trailed down the other's jawline, leaving soft kisses in his wake. As he worked his way towards Yami's ear, Yami kept his hands busy by rubbing encouraging circles on Yuugi's back. Shivers ran down Yuugi's spine when it felt like Yami was brushing against his bare skin. Yuugi had to pause his movements as a wave of pleasure gripped his body the moment Yami ran a delicate finger down the curve of his spine. His warm breath brushed against Yami's skin making him shudder and pull the petit teen closer. Regaining his focus, Yuugi took Yami's lobe in his mouth and suckled the soft skin enticing a soft purr from his lover.

Yuugi released the other's lobe and pressed a kiss to the soft side of Yami's ear, "If things are about to get complicated, then I just want to focus on you tonight and you can focus on me," he pulled back to look at Yami's face with a smile, "Let me make things simple for you tonight."

Yami shook his head and chuckled, "Complicated or simple: it doesn't matter. If it's you, I'll take it."

Needing no more encouragement, Yami pressed his lips back onto Yuugi's and delicately pushed his tongue into Yuugi's mouth. Yuugi smiled as he closed his eyes and parted his lips, savoring the slick feel of his lover exploring him. Crimson eyes stayed open as he began to push Yuugi backward until his back hit a wall. The younger didn't seem to mind and instead began to glide his tongue against Yami's, swallowing the deep purr it pulled from Yami. With his lover at his mercy, Yami closed his eyes and pushed against Yuugi's petit frame eliciting a soft gasp and moan from him.

As Yuugi's fingers tangled and soothed Yami's hair, the new king rubbed his hands down the side of Yuugi's body until his palms rested on his thighs. After taking a moment to kneed the soft flesh, Yami hooked his hands under Yuugi's tighs and lifted the boy up. Yuugi relished int he friction the action sparked and with a moan of approval, he wrapped his legs around Yami's waist, allowing his lover to dominate and control the moment.

A knock sounded on the door before their fun could escalate.

"Excuse me, My King. I have brought you your food."

Yuugi's heart pounded in his chest as a bright red inflamed his cheeks. Yami seemed less than pleased as he set Yuugi down on the ground and broke away towards the door. Still, he collected himself and put on a mask on indifference before allowing the maid to come in.

The maid opened the door and pushed a small silver cart loaded with porcelain dishes filled with a cream soup, a bread basket, and a plater of fruit on top of it. There was a pitcher of water, two bowls, and two crystal glasses on the second level of the cart. It wafted in the savory scent of beef, cheese, and some other Lelanian ingrediant that made Yuugi's mouth water and his stomach rumble.

Yuugi moved all of their royal garb off of the floor and couch, setting them on the vanity, while the maid set up the plates and food on the small coffee table. Yami stood off to the side, watching the two of them as they worked. He didn't offer any conversation or help, but he made sure to stay out of the way if one of the two were going near him. Once the dinner was set up, the maid bowed to both of them and skurried out of the room.

With the maid gone, Yami walked over to Yuugi who still sported a red dusting on his cheeks.

Yuugi gave a shy smiled, "We should probably eat first."

Yami nodded and glanced at the paitently waiting food, "That would be for the best."

Yuugi nodded in agreement and tried to walk past Yami when the elder grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. He didn't have any time to register what was happening as Yami wrapped an arm around his back, dipped him and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. Dazed, Yuugi closed his eyes and gripped Yami's shoulders, enjoying the heat the bloomed in his chest; however, the moment was over before he could become fully engrossed.

Standing straight again, but keeping a firm grip on Yuugi, Yami smiled at the glazed over look in his lover's eyes, "Just remember that you're mine tonight."

Yuugi blinked before he grinned back, "I am always yours." With a quick peck on the cheek, Yuugi left Yami's embrace and sat down on the couch.

 _Yuugi cried out as another car drove by and sent a muddy wave over his freezing body. His tears mixed his the tainted liquid as he sat in the mud and cried hot tears. His heart ached, his body shook, his mind was fried. He couldn't do this anymore. He just wanted home but nothing looked familiar. Everything was in a haze and he was scared. His body wouldn't move. He couldn't move._

" _Mommy…" he cried out._

" _Daddy…" he cried louder._

 _Yuugi let out a loud wail when he was answered with silence, "Mommy! Daddy! Where are you?!"_

 _Another car's headlights washed over his crying form so he curled into a ball, anticipating the splash. Instead, he heard the car stop and the door open._

" _Yuugi?!"_

 _Said boy uncurled and turned to look at his mother with puffy red eyes. Seeing her son, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his shaking form. Yuugi shivered as her warm body protected him from the pelting rain._

" _Oh, Yuugi. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry," she repeated as she rubbed his back._

 _Yuugi sniffled as new tears brimmed his eyes, "Mommy…. I miss daddy…"_

 _She clutched him harder as sobs choked her words, "I know… I miss him too."_

 _Yuugi gripped his mother's coat and buried his dirty face in her breasts, "He's not coming back, mommy…."_

 _She shook her head, "No. He isn't," she pulled back so she could look him in the eye: amethyst to amethyst, "But we have each other, okay? So long as we stay together, we can be a family."_

As long as we stay together, we can be happy


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2 A Journey Begins With a Single Step**

Yuugi shifted closer to the warm body beside him as a cold wind blew into the room. The canopy ruffled against one another creating a soft noise that pulled Yuugi into the waking world. Not wanting to leave his dreamland, Yuugi clenched his eyes shut and tried to burrow under the pile of blankets and furs covering him and Yami. Then he felt something step onto the bed.

At first, he brushed it off but when the soft steps drew closer, Yuugi opened his eyes to find the source. He blinked when he didn't see anything had disturbed the canopy around them, nor did he see anybody on the blankets with them; however, the footsteps continued towards him. They didn't feel heavy as a human, but they held ore wait that a rodent. They were slow too, as though each step was deliberate and held a purpose. He jumped when they stepped on his leg.

Yuugi shot up to look at the perpetrator, only to be surprised when he saw the black cat with ocean blue eyes. He let out a breath of relief as the cat sat down in his lap staring at him with an unknown expression. Beside him, Yami stirred awake.

"I figured you would still be asleep," Yami murmured.

Yuugi smiled and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "Yeah, but this cat scared me."

"Cat?"

Yuugi nodded as Yami sat up, "Yeah," he gestured to the cat that continued to stare at him, its tail brushing over the bear-fur blanket.

Yami looked at the spot then back to Yuugi. He remained quiet and continued to look between the two while his eyebrows slowly knit together, "What cat?"

Yuugi looked at Yami with a questioning gaze, "This cat…" when Yuugi turned back to point at the feline, it was gone. He blinked at the spot as he noticed that he didn't even feel its weight or warmth on his lap anymore.

Yami chuckled weakly, "Maybe you were still dreaming."

Yuugi furrowed his brows, "Yeah…. Maybe."

The two stayed silent for a second before Yami began to lay back down. Yuugi was about to join him and brush off the dream when a knock sounded on the door. Yami sighed and sat back up.

"My King, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. Will you be joining the council this morning?" asked the maid.

Yami was about to answer when Yuugi cut him off, "Yes, we will."

"I shall inform the council then," her soft footsteps echoed down the hall until she was gone.

Crimson eyes glared at Yuugi, "Really?"

"Oh don't give me that look," Yuugi countered as he matched Yami's stare, "It's just breakfast, nothing bad can happen. Besides, nothing will change if we don't take the first step," Yuugi tossed the sheets from his body and he crawled out of bed, his limbs still sluggish from sleep.

"Don't get me started on 'taking the first step', Yuugi," Yami growled as he climbed out of bed as well.

Yuugi padded over to the vanity as a yawn escaped his lips, "Alright. It's too early for that topic anyway," once at the vanity, Yuugi began to use his sleeve to scrub away the day-old ma'an when Yami came up behind him and grabbed his hand. Without a word, Yami opened one of the drawers and pulled out the crystal container and a white handkerchief. The water inside was still grey and black sediment swayed on the bottom f the crystal. Yuugi took the handkerchief while Yami opened the box, "Thanks." he smiled.

The two got ready in silence, both keeping to their own thoughts. It saddened Yuugi that Yami still refused to try and make amends with the people, and that was going to prove problematic in the future. Not that he thought Yami would allow the land of Lelania to run into the ground, but he knew that it would be a rough ride keeping everything afloat.

Yuugi sighed as he drew on his new ma'an. He knew that the people of Lelanian had hurt Yami in the past and that they didn't all see eye to eye. He also knew that Yami had given the late king of the people chances to forgive but, apparently, amends have not yet been made. It just didn't make sense to Yuugi. Despite what happened in the past, the people of Lelania were his family and for better or worse, family stuck together. Family helped each other: forgave each other.

Sad thoughts of his own past crept into Yuugi's mind as he picked through the collection of rings and necklaces. He understood what it meant to be hurt by someone close to you. He felt that pain every time he thought of his own father. Granted, he was three when his father actually left but years later, when he was old enough to understand what happened, the pain hit him as if it had happened just that morning. He felt betrayed, abandoned, and hurt. He missed out on a secure father -a secure family- and instead got a turbulent mother with an ever-changing father figure; however, even though, Yuugi never liked the multiple men that his mother engaged with, he still forgave her. He forgave her for every man she brought home, for every date she left him for, and for every night spent alone as she indulged herself in another's presence. Yuugi forgave her because he knew she was hurting just as much as he was, if not worse. Truth was, she was all he had and he was the only sure thing that she had.

Yuugi wouldn't claim to be an expert on Yami, nor that he knew everything about what happened to him in the past, but Yuugi did know that Yami couldn't stay mad forever. Time can heal any wound and scars can numb with a helping hand. Whatever Yami needed, Yuugi would be there for him. Even though Yuugi knew nothing about royalty and the land of Lelania, he would stand by his lover for better and for worse and they would figure this out together.

With the last of his royal accessories in place, Yuugi stood from the vanity, "Let's go eat breakfast, shall we?" he smiled and began to walk away when Yami held him back.

"Hold on," Yami chuckled as he stood up as well and walked over to the couch, "We can't walk around without these."

When Yami held up his crown and tiara that had been forgotten, Yuugi's breath hitched, "Oh, right…" the idea of wearing the tiara still sat strangely in his stomach as well as the image of Yami baring the crown. Not that he didn't think either of them could handle the responsibility but it was still unsettling to know that very crown was once upon Yami's father's head only a few days ago. It still felt as if he should be wearing it now…

Yami shortened the distance between them, his eyes still staring at the objects in his hand, "I wish I could say that you don't have to wear it if you don't want to," crimson eyes gazed into amethyst with sincerity, "but I don't want you in any more danger."

Yuugi took the tiara from Yami's hands, "These are that big of a deal, huh?"

Yami scoffed and glared at his own crown, "Lelanian's love their traditions," his smile softened, "But this one is close to Mira."

Yuugi smiled, "You really do love your goddess."

Yami smiled back, "I always have."

Both of them donned their crowns and took a second to feel the weight they bared. The weight went deeper than the silver and jewels they wore. It was heavier than the history and symbolism that inspired their design. It was more complex than the citizens and society that bloomed around them.

Yami straightened his back and let out a hefty sigh through his nose. When he opened his eyes, his crimson orbs were alight with a hidden fire that remained masked behind whatever wall Yami deemed necessary. Yuugi suppressed his own sigh and instead offered a smile to the other who grabbed his hand and led them out of the room.

Hand in hand, the two of them walked to the dining room where the council was already waiting. Yami released Yuugi's hand and led the two of them to the end of the table where Yami sat at the head with Yuugi on his right. Even though Yuugi was glad that he would be able to meet more of the council, as well as some of the richer Lelanians that joined the royal meals, he was glad when he noticed Yusei sitting on his left like a buffer from the rest of the table.

Of the citizens that sat at the table, their eyes never seemed to leave the duo, even after they sat down. Most of them hid their emotions well with their pale eyes letting some emotions flicker by, but even then Yuugi couldn't tell if their presence was truly welcomed. Yuugi understood that there were those who preferred the old king or someone else on the throne, but he wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. The situation was tough on everybody here but with time he was sure everyone would come around.

A dense silence befell the table as everyone fiddled with themselves. Few tried to attempt conversation, but it was nothing more than short whispers that died quickly. Yuugi sighed as he looked at Yami who was watching the crowd with a cold stare. When he looked at the table, he found that they were no different. When his purple eyes locked onto Yusei, the Neko gave a small incline of his head towards the crowd.

Mustering up some courage, Yuugi cleared his throat, drawing the table's attention, "Good morning everyone," he smiled.

An elderly woman with pale blue eyes and pepper hair smiled back at him from beside Yusei, "Good morning, Young Lover," she was dressed in finer robes that most of the table with her own set of runes and necklaces. Even among the Lelanian noblemen, she stood out with high importance and he knew that she was part of the council.

The new title brought a faint color to Yuugi's cheeks, "I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think we've properly met."

The old woman chuckled, "With as much that has gone on, it is no surprise," her warm eyes glanced over the table before they reconnected with Yuugi, "My name is Syracuse, I'm a member of the King's High Court."

The old man sitting next Syracuse cleared his thought. Yuugi recognized him from his first meal in Lelania; he was the one who tried to warn the old king about the rumors in Lelania. Yuugi guessed he was right, "I am Buron, another member of the King's Court."

A man with black hair and light blue eyes, sitting across from Buron rose his hand to bring Yuugi's attention to him, "My name is Lazulin, Young Lover. I am a newer member of the king's court, same as Odamanai," he gestured to the women on his right. She had black hair and grey eyes that narrowed as Yuugi looked at her. Wanting to keep the peace, Yugi focused on the teenage girl across from him.

When her grey eyes caught him, she tucked a long strand of dark brown hair behind her ear and straightened, "I am the newest member of the king's court, Young Lover. You may call me Odette."

Yuugi nodded his head as he looked over the members of the King's Court. Aside from Odamanai, the rest of the members seemed to be fine with his presence. It was great to officially meet them considering they would be spending a lot of time together now. He just hoped that they could stay in good relations with each other no matter what happens.

The piercing feeling of someone glaring into his skull made Yuugi shiver and pulled his attention to the table once more. Syracuse and Buron sat next to Yusei, but there was another person sitting beside Buron who looked ancient in years. His body looked frail and his skin was cluttered with wrinkles and bags, but there was a fire that burned in those pale blue eyes. The same eyes that glared holes into his soul.

Swallowing, Yuugi mustered his best smile, "I'm sorry, are you also part of the King's court?"

The man scoffed, "Forgetful and dense. There are two of us still, but you should have already known that."

Yuugi recoiled in his seat as his words lashed at him, full of contempt. He hadn't meant to offend the man.

Syracuse let out an exasperated sigh, "Rumonbothe, the boy is new. Give him this chance to learn."

The man sitting across Ruonbothe gave Syracuse a pointed look, "He should have learned the moment he stepped foot in Lelania. If not to get used to our culture, then because he is the Young Lover."

Lazulin shook his head, "Oh, Dovai."

Yuugi studied Dovai and Rumonbothe carefully. He didn't quite remember Dovai, but he remembered Rumonbothe from the parade. He was the council member who had been adamant that he shouldn't ride in the royal carriage. Had the King not stood up for Yuugi and stopped Rumonbothe that day, things would have gotten sour fast. The man must still be upset about the whole ordeal and the recent coronation would not have helped him forgive the matter any time soon. It may take a while for him to come around, but Yuugi hoped they could find a common ground.

Taking a deep breath, Yuugi turned his whole body to face the two displeased council members, "I would like to apologize, councilor Rumonbothe and councilor Dovai. I know my lack of knowledge of Lelania's customs and culture can be a burden. I hope you will forgive me as I learn."

Yami straightened beside him, "Yuugi, don't-"

Said teen stopped him with a raise of his hand, his amethyst eyes never leaving Rumonbothe who gave him a calculating stare. After a few seconds the elder councilor 'humphed' and closed his eyes.

"It's not just you that I'm worried about," Rumonbothe quipped.

Yuugi could feel Yami tense beside him, so he prepared to calm the new king. To his left, Yusei also shifted his eyes to Yami, assessing what he would need to do to keep the peace. Luckily, neither had to do anything as the kitchen doors opened and the maids wheeled in the carts, each adorned with a silver domed plate, a pitcher and a crystal goblet.

A soon as the maids grabbed the water pitchers, the table held out their hands in the form of a cup. Yuugi watched them for a moment before it clicked in his brain that they were preparing to give thanks to Mira before they ate. He hastily held out his hands before glancing over the table hoping that no one saw him. When it appeared that everyone was focused on their own hands, Yuugi breath out a soft sigh of relief.

He jumped when he heard a soft chuckle by his ear, then he realized that the maid who was serving him and seen the whole thing. His face burned red, but she gave him a forgiving smile as she leaned forward with the pitcher. Yuugi nodded his thanks to his maid as she poured the water into his hands before he raised the liquid to his lips. The soothing water brought a smile to his face as he allowed his soft flesh to dip below the surface of the water; although, it didn't feel quite the same. It was a subtle difference like someone took the softener out of the water and left all the minerals. He didn't have time to ponder more on it as the table sipped the liquid and the ritual was over.

After the maid filled his crystal chalice, a silver tray was placed in front of Yuugi and he couldn't help but get excited. It had been a while since the last meal he had in the dining room and even though he knew there was tension in the air, he couldn't help but be reminded of meals with his mother. Most nights were fine but there were some nights when her boyfriend or her new husband would sit and join them for dinner and change the dynamic. It was weird seeing someone sit where his father used to be, but it was all overshadowed by knowing he would finally have some time with his mother. If it meant spending time with her, he would bare the other men's presence. Meal times were a time to bring everyone together no matter what.

The maid removed the silver cover, revealing the hot meal below and allowing its fresh scent to waft into Yuugi's nostrils. Yuugi couldn't help but stare at the food while his senses were influenced by the cinnamon an apple scent: it did not match the savory looking quail on his plate. Each porcelain plate held a single quail that sat on a glistening biscuit and was topped with various fruits that almost glowed neon.

The maid giggled and whispered in his ear, "It's braised sugar bird with fresh fruit and a honey biscuit,"

Yuugi smiled, "Thank you."

With a final nod, the maid returned to her cart and fell in line with the other servers as they retreated to the kitchen. The nobles on the end of the table kicked up the conversation again as they gorged themselves in the divine food; meanwhile, most of the other council members began to chat amongst themselves. Seeing the fight defused, for now, Yuugi began to cut into his small bird.

"So, Young Lover Yuugi?" Syracuse asked.

Yuugi paused to look at the older women, "Please, Yuugi is just fine."

She gave a soft chuckle, "You'd best get used to it, Young Lover. Everyone here will respect you with it," after Yuugi nodded, she continued, "I know that you and our King Yami are to stay here in Lelania, but I can't help but wonder what it was like on Earth?"

Yuugi tilted his head, "Have you never gone before?"

Yusei cut in with a shake of his head, "While it's okay for Lelanians to visit other realms, it is illegal for us to go to Earth. Some instances can be excused but most are not."

"Why is that?" Yuugi inquired, "What makes Earth different? Is it bad?"

Syracuse laughed, "Nothing is wrong with Earth. It's just that there isn't magic there. It's hard to keep balance in a word where that system doesn't exist."

"Oh," Yuugi cast a sad look towards his sugar bird that he poked with a fork. He guessed they were right, that it would be hard to keep magic in check if Earth didn't have it naturally. There were a lot of things that Earth didn't have that Lelenaia did, and while he loved his home, he couldn't help but feel that it was inferior in so many ways. Earth held many beautiful places but none as beautiful as Lelania. Earth had many unique cultures but none as unique as Lelania. Earth even held many different foods and fashion but none as different as Lelania. It felt like nothing that Earth did was ever up to par with Lelania; Earth was always second place. Compared to this land, Earth seemed bland.

Yuugi jerked his head up when he felt Yami grab his hand. After a few seconds of searching, Yami flashed Yuugi a quick smile that he was sure no one else saw before he turned to Syracuse with a blank face.

"Simply put, Earth is nothing like Lelania. It has many special and unique aspects to it, it's hard to imagine what it's like," his voice was even, but his crimson eyes were alight with a passionate flame that could bring the dead and mundane to life. The fire sparked a warm feeling in Yuugi that made him smile at his lover.

Syracuse seemed to bask in the information, her pale eyes portraying a youth that betrayed her elder appearance, "Oh my, now that sounds like a marvelous place! Please, tell me more. Where did you live, Young Lover?"

Yuugi smiled, "I used to live above my family's shop with my mother. It was small and hard to manage at times, but I enjoyed it."

Across from him, Odette chimed into the conversation, "A game shop? What kind of games?"

"We would sell all kinds of games from board games to video games to card games, even to games that were popular in ancient civilizations," Between the comfort of Yami's touch and his memories of home, Yuugi couldn't help but relax and smile as they continued to fire questions at him. At first, they focused on his game shop and the contents within it, but it soon extended further into his school life.

"So this Domino High School, this is where you two first met?" Lazulin who had joined in asked.

Yami nodded his head, "It was already the middle of the school year when I first joined, but we actually didn't talk to each other very much."

Yuugi chuckled with a fond look in his amethyst eyes, "No, but we watched each other from a distance. I was too scared to approach him, so I just settled with watching."

Odette leaned forward and swirled her goblet in her hand, "Then how did you guys get so close?"

A soft blush dusted Yuugi's cheeks as he smiled, "Over time I grew a crush on him, but I was still so scared to talk to him. Yami would often try to start a conversation with me, but they never lasted long. It actually wasn't until I asked to eat lunch with him that we spent a lot of time together."

Yami chuckled and smiled at Yuugi, "But that day didn't go quite as planned either."

"What do you mean?" Syracuse inquired.

"Well, Yami wasn't always very welcomed at school," Yuugi started, avoiding eye contact, "There were a lot of people that made fun of how he looked and what he wore, but most of them made fun of the ritual he did before every lunch."

Lazulin looked puzzled, "You mean that one we do to honor Mira?" when Yuugi nodded his head, the councilman's mouth dropped.

"Most of the time, Yami ignore the bullying, but they went too fart that time," Yuugi looked at Yami who was watching him intently.

His crimson eyes never left Yuugi as he continued the story, "There isn't much to say on what happened but, in the end, they emptied my last bit of holy water. Not wanting to disrespect Mira, I tried to run back to Lelania and gather some, but I didn't know that Yuugi had followed me."

Odette's grey eyes flashed as she put the pieces together, "That was the day you both got caught and put on trial."

Rumonbothe grunted, "It serves you right, coming here and stealing our water. You should have just stayed there."

Yami's eyes hardened as he stared at the elder, "Would you rather have me disrespect my goddess?"

Rumonbothe narrowed his pale eyes as he matched Yami's glare, "You already have."

Yami fell silent but his glare spoke volumes. Yuugi watched with concern as Yami's muscles tightened and his teeth ground together. The hand that was holding his became a vice grip and Yuugi's fingers were beginning to change color as the blood supply ran thin. Not knowing what to do and more concerned at keeping Yami at bay, Yuugi cast a pleading look to Yusei. The Neko seemed to understand and turned to Rumonbothe.

"Councilmen, I have recent news from the other kingdoms that I would like to discuss," his tone was strong and left no room for argument; luckily, the other council members didn't fight against the change of subject.

With the other members distracted, Yuugi let out a sigh of relief. Sadly, the change of subject didn't have the same effect on Yami. Instead of relaxing and taking a moment to collect himself, his body stayed rigid and his stare was hard. The only reprieve Yuugi got was when Yami moved his eyes downward to the table.

Looking around, Yuugi noted that the servants were walking back in and retrieving the empty dishes from the table. At the end of the table, the noblemen were all saying their farewells and leaving the room. Most ignored the royal court, but some cast concerned glances before hurrying out. Yuugi bit his lip before he stood from his chair, careful not to draw the others attention, and stood beside Yami.

When the other refused to look at him, Yuugi used his free hand to turn the other's head towards him, "Hey, don't let him get to you."

Yami spared a second to glare at the elder councilmen before he reconnected with Yuugi, "I've dealt with worse."

Yuugi smiled, "Will you be okay then?" Yami was hesitant, but eventually, he nodded and Yuugi's smile grew brighter. The teen rose their connected hands to show his almost-blue fingers, "Then do you think you can let go?"

Yami released Yuugi's hand as if it burned him. Yuugi sighed as he felt the blood rush back into his fingertips and shook it to help the flow. When his hand was warm and back to normal, Yuugi used it to cup Yami's face as he placed a soft peck on his cheek.

"I'm always here if you need me," Yuugi commented as he sat back down in his seat. Before he could sit down, however, Yami stopped him by grabbing the other's hand. Without saying anything, Yami brought the pale limb to his mouth and kissed the soft palm. The sensation sent a warm shiver down Yuugi's body as he glowed with happiness.

"Sorry," Yami whispered into Yuugi's palm, but Yuugi heard it.

The teen smiled at his lover as he took his seat and focused on the conversation that the remaining Lelanians were engrossed in.

"I still think that we should not invite Caira," Dovai scoffed with crossed arms.

"If we do that then we risk losing our alliance with them. They have been generous with their end of the deal as we have provided them great service. If they don't get an invitation, then they will grow suspicious," Odette reasoned.

"Besides, all of the other kingdoms should be coming. They would surely notice Caira's absence," Lazulin added.

Dovai scoffed, "The people of Lelania are still upset. Not all of them are ready to welcome the Cairains so readily."

"The kingdom of Caira will be invited and that's final," the sound of Yam's voice drew everyone's attention.

Rumonbothe looked displeased, "It sure took you long enough to join in these important matters."

Yami ignored the comment in favor of leveling Dovai with a steady stare, "It has been generations since Lelania has forbidden a kingdom to come to the ball. We have no reason to now, so we shall not break that record."

Dovai shook his head, "My King, I must implore you to see this from my perspective. There is still great upset amongst the people over Caira."

Buron nodded his head hastily in agreement, "Should we do anything to prompt these unsteady emotions, our relation with Caira could be in danger."

"I have yet to see anyone show grievance or unease towards Caira," Yami commented, "therefore, they shall come."

Rumonbothe scoffed, "You have hardly been here, my King, you have not been able to see what the people think."

Yuugi held his breath as his gaze moved from Rumonbothe to Yami. They were both staring at the other with contempt in their eyes and tension clearly between them. None of the other members seemed to mind the tension; in fact, it seemed that the remaining members were split on the same decision. Syracuse, Lazulin, and Odette seemed to side with Yami, while Buron, Dovai, and Odomanai all seemed to side with Rumonbothe. While Yuugi wasn't quite sure what the problem was with Caira, he knew that it would be up to him and Yusei to tip the scales.

Yuugi cleared his throat, but no one seemed to pay him any mind, "Well, within my first few days in the castle, I ran into some Lelanians who seemed fine with the idea of Cairains being in Lelania."

That grabbed everyone's attention.

"Who?" Odomanai challenged.

Yuugi took a deep breath and locked onto her imposing grey eyes, "Kalo, Kora, Kelst, Khloe, Kannon, Kley, Kore, their mother Kalytpo and her husband Kura. None of them seemed displeased with Caira."

The council seemed to ponder that for a moment before Buron spoke up, "Well, that is only one family out of the many here in Lelania. It is not enough to disprove the displeasure towards Caira."

"Unless Caira launches an attack on Lelania, abuses the alliance, or threatens the people of Lelania, then they are to remain invited. Between the little upset that neither Yuugi nor I have felt, there is no real threat to Caira coming to the ball," Yami stated with a voice of finality. Still, a single whisper floated into the quiet room.

"That's just what thing last King said."

Yami whipped his head towards Buron who shrunk back under that King's threatening stare. Yuugi didn't bother trying to stop Yami and instead pitied the worrisome old man. It was good to have someone as cautious as he because they would be able to sense when something has too great of a risk. The only downside was that they could be pessimistic at the best of times. Yuugi knew the man meant well, but the decision was made. There was no use trying to fight it. Only to prepare for it.

Beside Yuugi, Yusei pulled a small black book out of his cloak and began to jot something down without any utensil. When Yuugi peered over his shoulder, he was mystified to see wherever the Neko moved his finger, words were left in its wake. Without looking up, Yusei addressed the table "Then it's settled. All the neighboring kingdoms shall come to the ball. It's just a matter of when to have it," his deep blue eyes peered at Yami over the book, "What day did you have in mind?"

Yami placed an elbow on the table and placed his chin in his palm, "I was thinking the end of the week."

A bark of laughter startled everyone, "Do you think that our people are incapable of preparing for the ball so quickly, my King?" Rumonbothe asked, "They may have been grieving, but the ball brings great joy to the people: they would not want to wait."

Yami didn't look at the elder man as he spoke, "It wasn't a matter of the people's mindset. It was a matter of time. Things have been moving so fast, I figured a few days delay on the ball would give enough people a chance to settle and then enjoy themselves," his crimson eyes rose to meet ancient blue, "Wouldn't you agree?"

The elder looked away with his nose held high, "Our people shall be fine and would rather enjoy upholding the tradition. It would be better for the ball to happen sooner."

Yami nodded stiffly, "Alright. How about in three days?" he looked over to Yusei, "Would that be enough time for the town and the invitations?"

Yusei's ears flicked forwards, but he didn't otherwise react, "That shall be plenty of time, my King."

Yami smiled at the Neko before he turned back to the council. Yuugi sat back in his chair, content with how the conversation was going. Was it rocky? Yes, but at least everyone seemed to have some sort of feel for the others… mostly. At the very least, he didn't feel like the kingdom would collapse over a disagreement. Still, there was one thing that was bothering him: what was this ball?

They all talked as if it was a normal thing, but Yuugi had not heard anything about plans for a ball throughout the past few days. Even though the past few days were nothing but a blur of noise and color, he figured he wouldn't have glossed over such a topic as this.

Seeing Yami and the council members in a conversation once more, Yuugi bit his lip trying to figure if he should interrupt what they were saying to ask. In the end, he settled against it seeing as they were all too engrossed to spare a moment for him. He wouldn't want to interrupt something so important anyway for something so trivial. Looking to his left, he hoped that Yusei would be open to answering his question, but alas, the Neko was nose deep his notebook as he frantically wrote notes and memos inside it.

With a sigh, Yuugi settled with having to wait to ask later even though the question circled in his mind like a hungry hawk. As his eyes scanned the empty table he found himself blinking as he looked at the chair opposite of Yami's. There, sitting prim and proper on the mahogany table, was the black cat. It stared back at him as its tail swished back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. The longer Yuugi stared at it the more his head began to hurt, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. there was something mesmerizing to the redundant motion.

The feline stood up and began padding its way down the table towards him. His paws fell silently and the other members in the room seemed oblivious to the feline's presence. Yuugi watched it intently, taking note of every step that it took and every swish of its tail as though his life depended on it. He couldn't quite tell, but there was something different about the cat from before. There were moments that its figure went fuzzy before coming into focus; however, every time he thought he saw the distortion, it was over almost as quick as it came. It remained elusive as the cat seemed to mock him with his unblinking eye.

Then Yuugi saw it.

Every time a dainty paw befell the table the wood would ripple as if it were nothing but water. With every flick of its tail, the air would warp as if someone ran their hand along the surface of a lake. The reflection was distorted then there would be a brief second where everything would still and become just as it once was, only for it to warp once more.

Then Yuugi heard it.

It was subtle at first, but as the cat came closer, the more the sound of dripping water rung in his ears. The echo was loud and harsh as if he were in a dank cave. It reverberated in his ears and shook his thoughts as the mysterious sound repeated itself over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over-

The cat was in front of him now.

It stopped moving, but its tail continued to skim over the waters surface and the image bent and warped only to return to normal a second later. The sound was unbearable now and caused him to flinch with every drip. Then the table began to melt as though it were wax.

It began to cave under the cat's feet first, as though he were the wick and it melted in an outward circle. Despite the lack of surface, the cat remained where it was, floating above the growing pool of wax. The drops of woods would splash and hit his shoes, but Yuugi refused to move. He couldn't. The cat kept him pinned there in his chair without so much as an escape.

Yuugi began to shake as the dripping came closer and closer. No longer was it in some far-off cave, it was in the same room as him. It was falling on top of him. He could hear it as it whistled through the wind and could feel the shadow of something large encompassing his body. If he didn't move he would surely be crushed.

With a strength he didn't know he had, Yuugi broke free from the cat's stare and pushed away from the table. His chair resounded with a loud screech and almost toppled over with the force it was under as he stood up. His breath came out if heavy gasps and his hands were clenched so tight that his nails broke the skin of his palms began to fill with blood.

"Yuugi?"

When he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, Yuugi jumped away, nearly toppling over as his back hit another chair. The occupant of the chair stood and held his shoulders steady. He could feel something brush against his mind in a soothing manner.

Yuugi looked at the table to find everything just as it was during the conversation, but the cat was gone. When he looked behind him at who was holding his shoulder's he found Yusei standing with a seemingly blank look in his eyes, but Yuugi could see the concern hidden in their depths.

"Are you alright?"

The question brought his focus to the person in front of him. It was Yami and he had worry written all over his face.

Yuugi swallowed despite his dry mouth, "Y-yeah. I'm sorry," he ran a hand through his hair, "I think I-I'm just a bit tired."

Yami lifted his chin so that they could look at each other. Yami searched the younger face, but Yuugi refused to let anything show. The other didn't need to worry about it. He was probably just tired with everything that was going on: it was nothing to worry about. Yuugi struggled to keep his face straight and void of emotion in front of Yami. Those crimson depths could read him like a book and, for once, that was not a good thing.

Just as Yuugi thought he would break, Yami released him and looked at Yusei, "I'll take him back to our room."

Yusei shook his head, "No, you need to stay and continue the meeting. I'll take him back."

Reluctance passed through Yami's eyes before they harden and he nodded. With a final look of concern, Yami sat down and watched as Yusei led a half-dazed Yuugi out of the dining room.

As soon as the dinning room door was shut, Yusei turned to Yuugi, "What happened?"

Yuugi blinked at the Neko, "It was nothing, really. I'm just tired with what has been going on, that's all. I should be fine with a bit of rest."

Yusei looked skeptical at first but caved under those large pleading eyes. The pair stayed silent as they walked through the castle towards the King's room. Yuugi could feel the other's occasional stare despite the fuzzy feeling in his head. Yusei was worried for him but knew not to push Yuugi. That or maybe he figured he could figure it out without Yuugi telling him what happened. Either way, Yuugi appreciated the silence. It gave him a chance to think.

Still he felt bad about pulling Yusei from the meeting that they all seemed engrossed in. It obviously held great importance and he didn't feel the need to be lead back to his room; however, he knew that Yami wouldn't allow him walking alone at a time like this. Hell, the thought of Yami being alone sent a cold spike a fear to stab at his stomach. Tensions were still high from the King's parting and the new coronation, anything could happen in a time as delicate as this. Still, the ball seemed like it was something big that required immediate attention.

Yuugi blinked as he remembered his previous question, "Hey, Yusei?" the Neko flicked his ear, "What is the ball that everyone was talking about?"

"It's customary for Lelania to throw a royal ball after the coronation to allow neighboring kingdoms and allies a time to greet the new leader and make a good impression."

Yuugi's eyes lit up, "That sounds amazing."

Yusei glanced at him before looking forward, "I have yet to go to this ball myself, but I figure it will be just like the others."

Yuugi chuckled as a soft smile formed his lips and his eyes cast down at his feet, "I've never been to any ball before."

The concept of a ball both thrilled and scared him. This biggest party he had ever gone to was Anzu's sweet sixteen and that only consisted of a handful of people. It was a small party at her house with a pinata, dancing, and a cake that could feed twenty. It was lavish in decorations and the music was a constant noise in the background: just what every girl wanted. Yuugi had enjoyed spending time with his friends all in one place; however, the night hadn't ended as well as he hoped. Anzu's boyfriend at the time, Zorro, had his own plans for her birthday and tried to get her to sleep with him as a gift. When she refused, he turned violent and tried to force her into it. If he and Jonouchi hadn't heard her screams from the bedroom, Yuugi hated to think what could have happened that night.

A frown curled Yuugi's lips as he heard Anzu's screams in his mind as if they were new. It had been a long time since he thought about the event: it was something that none of the group talked about. The screams began to grow louder as if the source was running at him. He shook his head to try and rid the noise from his ears but it did nothing to deter the screams. Just as they were about to crash into him, Yuugi looked up only to be met with an empty hall.

When he glanced at Yusei, the Neko didn't seem to have heard the screams and instead continued walking foreward. With uncertain eyes, Yuugi glanced around himself to make sure that they were really alone. They only thing that his eyes found was a potted glorean plant that was scattered all throughout the castle.

The sight of the iredecent plant sent a shiver up his spine as memories from the cave raced towards the front of his mind. His skin became clammy and the syrupy sweetness coated his tounge like wax. His muscles tensed against the flavor and his heart began to pump as though it were trying to rid his system of the poison. He guessed his face turned pale because Yusei grabbed his arm and sped them past the idle plant.

With a turn around the corner, the door to the King's room was in sight and Yuugi sighed in relief. His muscles relaxed and his heart slowed to a normal pace as the safety that the room held flooded him though he were already inside.

They stopped in front of the door and Yuugi turned to the Neko, "Thank you, Yusei. I know the meeting was important."

The other swished his tail across the floor and Yuugi had to blink to make sure that the ground stayed solid, "If I hadn't, Yami would have never stayed focused."

With a soft hum of agreement, Yuugi turned the door handle and began to slip inside, "I won't stay in here all day. I'll come out once I feel better."

Yusie nodded an began to walk back down the hall. Yuugi lingered by the door as he watched the Neko leave. Then he rubbed his eyes and stared after the slender body. His stomach churned and his hands gripped the door tighter.

The cat from before was walking alongside Yusei.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ch 3 Two Heads Are Better Than One**

Yuugi groaned as he kicked at the covers and turned on his side, trying to find a comfortable position. He was hot and sweating under all those furs, but no matter how many he kicked off, he couldn't cool down. He buried his head in the soft pillow only to readjust when the position left him unable to breathe. In the distance, he knew he head a nock, but he didn't even bother to open his eyes; instead, he gripped the blanket and buried his head under it. While he enjoyed the soft brush against his cheek, he didn't appreciate the heat that began to smother him, thus he tossed it aside.

There was a muffled call about breakfast, but the thought of food made Yuugi's stomach queasy. He wasn't hungry, he was tired. In an effort to block out the sound, Yuugi turned on his side and cuddled a spare blanket against his stomach.

There was a deep baritone beside him that soothed his brain and helped to send him back to sleep. It as a soft lullaby amongst the endless discomfort that seemed to grip him. He tried to focus on it so he could be pulled back into slumber; however, the blanket he was holding was getting too hot, so he tossed it away and curled into a ball by himself.

The soft sound a retreating steps was equivalent to a power hammer in his ears and Yuugi groaned as it pounded at his head. He just wanted to sleep, he needed rest. Hopeful that a new position would aid his slumber, Yuugi flipped onto his stomach and hugged his pillow close; alas, sweet comfort evaded him as he managed to roll in a heated spot in the covers, leaving his skin clammy as the sheets stuck to his skin. He almost wanted to cry.

There was a shuffling beside him and the sound grated on his nerves which calmed the second a cooling hand soothed down his back. A calming feeling overflowed his senses as the hand rubbed along his spine. Yuugi was almost back in the strong embrace of his dreams when that baritone melody sung in his ears.

"Yuugi."

Said teen moan and tried to bury his face in his pillow.

"Yuugi, it's time to wake up."

As more of his restless sleep was tugged away from him, Yuugi turned his head in the sound of the voice, "Don't wanna…"

There was a chuckle that sent a pleasant feeling throughout Yuugi's body and all he wanted to do was drown in it, "Yuugi, come on or else you'll miss breakfast."

With difficulty, Yuugi manage to open one amethyst eye just a crack, "Why…?"

Yami smiled as he rolled his eyes, "If I have to eat breakfast with the council, then you have to eat breakfast with the council."

Yugi closed his eye and sighed, "...Fine," he muttered before he pushed his arms against the bed and rose up.

Yami rolled out of bed, leaving Yuugi to make his own way out and Yuugi was thankful. He loved the man, but he was still fighting sleep. It didn't help that the dreams he had last night were still flashing behind his eyelids if he wasn't careful enough. They plagued his thoughts as the scenes replayed in his mind over and over again, just as they did last night. He woke up multiple times, trying to shake the dream from his mind but every time he closed his eyes, the dream resumed and repeated. Nothing he did stalled the dreams or kept them from coming back, thus preventing him the good night's rest he had been hoping for.

They were simple dreams that always led to the same conclusion: him drowning in stormy water. In one dream, he had been watching a movie with his mother, but she wouldn't stop crying. Yuugi asked her if it was the movie, but she shook her head. It was the same when he asked if it was the decor, the food, him: every time she shook her head. The tears never stopped and soon Yuugi had been alone in a sea of tears. It churned and created monstrous waves that toppled his head until his lungs were no longer able to breathe air. That was when he woke up.

In another one, he was trapped in a maze of stairs that were endless. It was calm until he heard a grandfather clock chime and his body began to run. His mind screamed at him to run away as fast as he could, but his legs were suddenly lead. Even with all his might, his body wouldn't move fast enough and a wave toppled over his head and he was once again drowning in a wild ocean.

He even had a dream that he was picking flowers in a vast valley when he came across a rose bush. It was the only flower that stood taller than his knees and the roses weren't red: they were blue. As he went to pick one of them, his finger caught on a throne and began to bleed, but the drops began to get bigger and bigger until the valley was flooded. When he swam to the surface, he was trapped in a raging sea. Try as he might, he couldn't fight against the current and he found himself drowning.

The dreams had continued to recreate the same scene and rendered him unable to fully fall asleep. The only thing he was happy about was the fact that Yami seemed to have been undisturbed by all of it. Every time he woke up from one of his nightmares, Yami remained asleep, blissfully unaware of the terrible night Yuugi was having. It was okay though. Just seeing Yami beside him everytime he woke was enough to calm him down and send him off to sleep once more. The other didn't need to know about his dreams. There were plenty of times in the past where nightmares kept him awake and haunted. It was nothing to worry about.

As Yuugi stretched his back, a yawn slipped past his lips. With an exhaled, he relaxed his back and slouched back on the bed, relishing the plush welcome he received. Just as sleep began to creep in his mind once more, Yuugi sat up and pushed the sheets off of him, welcoming the cool Lelanian air that cooled his sweating skin.

He rubbed at his eyes, trying to fight off the sleep, but as he pulled his hands away he froze when he saw the same black cat sitting in front of him. Yuugi shook his head before locking eyes with the feline, but it remained seated where it was. Yuugi tilted his head as he took in its small form: there was something that seemed out of focus about it. ITs edges were softer, undefined, and he almost seemed to blend in with the rest of the bed. Yuugi yelped when it meowed.

Yami looked back at him from his place on the vanity, "Is something wrong?"

Yuugi grabbed his chest as he took a few calming breaths. The cat was gone and Yuugi was beginning to think that it was just another dream, "Yeah, I'm just still half-asleep I guess."

With furrowed brows, Yami got up from the vanity and walked to Yuugi's side of the bed, he pulled back the canopy so that we could look at his lover clearly, "You said that yesterday."

Yuugi rubbed his arm and looked away,"Yeah, I know," yesterday, after breakfast, he had stayed in their room for about an hour drifting between sleep and idle staring. He didn't know what to do and he wasn't sure what to make of the cat that seemed to follow him around everywhere he went. He wasn't even sure if it was real or if it was some weird creature from another kingdom. Considering there was a lot that he didn't know, that was still a viable option. While he had wanted to spend a longer time hidden away, he didn't need Yami worrying about him, so he left the room and sought out the new King; however, the cat still followed him around, though it was less prominent than it was at breakfast. It merely walked around or floated in the air. It became more of a distraction really, but it made him paranoid and unfocused. He had hoped the no one would notice considering they were all engrossed in the meeting that continued to drag on, but Yami and Yusei noticed his jumpiness. Anytime they pressed for details, he brushed it off saying that he was just tired: they didn't have to worry, after all, "I promise, it's nothing serious."

Yami still didn't seem to believe him, and Yuugi couldn't blame him. If he were Yami, he wouldn't believe him either.

Yami kneeled down and pressed the back of his hand to Yuugi's forehead, "You're heating up," he muttered before feeling both cheeks, "Are you feeling sick?"

Yuugi shook his head, "No, I'm just tired."

Yami pulled his hand back, "Maybe the fumes were too much for you."

While Yuugi didn't want to admit it, the pungent odor of ink had been a bit overwhelming yesterday as they all signed the invitations. It was near the end of the day after the meeting was finally over. Yuugi wasn't paying attention to all of it, but he assumed that it was mostly behind the scenes matters over the ball. No one asked for his opinion, and he didn't mind keeping it to himself. He was fine to stay mediator if the time needed him to be.

Still, after dinner, he, Yami, and the council members had gone to the study in order to sign all of their names on the official invitations. He was fine at first, but after a few minutes of being in that small room, the fumes from the ink began to make his head dizzy.

The odor was faint at first, like when his teacher opened a fresh pack of expo markers for class, but the smell became intoxicating the closer he was too it. He wasn't completely sure, but he thought that the ink was infused with glorean in order to give it a classic Lelanian feel whenever the bearer opened the invitation. He thought it was a clever idea, it was a shame his body didn't seem to appreciate it. It also didn't help that some of the council members seemed to be wearing some sort of glorean perfume or cologne. It made sense, considering they were all pure-blooded Lelanians who were proud of where they came from, but it made it harder to keep up face near them.

Yuugi was continuously looking towards Yami and Yusei because he knew the smell must be getting to them as well, but they never seemed to mind it as much. It clicked to Yuugi as he realized that, growing up in Lelania, they would become accustomed to the faint hint of glorean in many aspects of Lelanian life, so their bodies would be used to its subtle presence. Since he was a human and had grown up on Earth, it was no wonder that his body would catch onto the smell like one could smell a cigar on a smoker.

Still, the scent had made him slightly nauseous, but luckily, he managed to finish the sighing before anything gross could come up. Yuugi didn't tell Yami or Yusei that he wasn't feeling too well since he figured the effects would go away in an hour or so, but the two saw his pale face and figured it out on their own. Yusei had given him that wonderous green paste that nullified the effects of glorean and it helped him feel back to normal, but he figured the effects still lingered if he was feeling hot now.

Yuugi shook his head and began to stand, "I'll be fine, Yami. Just give me a minute and I'll be ready to go."

Yami pushed Yuugi back onto the bed, "No, you stay here and get some rest."

Yuugi gave him a frustrated look, "Yami, I'm fine-"

"No, you're not."

Yuugi huffed and looked away, "I can go down to breakfast."

"Not if you're feeling sick. I'll tell one of the maids to bring you your food while you stay here and rest."

"Fine," Yuugi mumbled as he crossed his arms.

He heard Yami sigh, "Yuugi, look at me," Yuugi did and stared into caring crimson eyes, "If you get sick, I'm not sure how Lelanian medicine will work with you. We were lucky that the glorean salve worked, but I don't want to find out what happens if we aren't so lucky," sincerity shimmered in his eyes as he reached out to tuck one of Yuugi's bangs behind his ear.

Yuugi leaned into the hand and smiled as it cupped his cheek, "I guess you're right," he unfolded his arms and fixed Yami with a hard stare, "But I don't want to stay here all day. I do want to get out of the room."

"Deal," Yami leaned forward so he could press a kiss to Yuugi's cheek before he stood up.

With a soft expression, Yuugi watched as Yami walked back towards the vanity, picked up his crown and placed it on his head. After taking a moment to look at himself in the mirror, he turned and began to leave. When he paused at the door, he looked back at Yuugi with uncertain eyes. Yuugi smiled and waved him on until the King finally left.

Yuugi sighed as he slumped back onto the bed. He pulled one of the blankets up to his chin and rolled onto his side. When his body began to overheat once more, Yuugi threw off the cover and sat up once more. He couldn't stand being in the bed anymore, but he was so tired. No matter what he did, he couldn't get comfortable and even if he did, those nightmares would flashback in his mind.

There was a distant sound of water dripping, and Yuugi stilled to listen to it. When he couldn't tell where the noise was coming from, he sighed and rubbed his eyes with his palms. The last thing he wanted to do was spend more time stuck in the room. With the ball coming up and the council getting used to him and Ymi, he felt like he needed to be there to help. King or not, Yami couldn't handle it all.

The dripping became louder as it echoed in the empty room. Yuugi groaned as it grated on his nerves and ticked at his mind. Instead of being soothing like the trickle of a fountain, it was garish like a leaky faucet. There was no elegance to it, it was just harsh.

He slipped his hands over his ears when the noise continued.

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

Amethyst eyes squeezed shut to try and block it out.

Drip...

Drip...

Drip...

The noise was louder despite his effort to silence it. It was closer and more insistent like the ticking of a bomb, the beating of a weak heart, or pounding of a nail in a coffin.

DRIP...

DRIP...

DRIP...

There was a knock on the door.

...

...

...

Yuugi sat up and looked towards the wooden door, "Come in."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the door slammed open and in rushed seven little bodies all pushing a silver cart. Yuugi had just enough time to brace himself before the siblings jumped on the bed and hugged him.

"Good morning, Yuugi!"

"Hi! Hi!"

"We brought you food!"

Yuugi giggled as he tried to managed the many wiggling bodies. They all squirmed around him as they not only tried to get comfortable but tried to get his attention. They ended up pushing some of their siblings out of the way, but that only ended in more shoving as they fought to be by his side. The only kids who seemed to have understood how early it was and decided to not join in the mosh pit were Kora and Kelst.

Yuugi pulled Kalo to his chest just before Kannon could push him out of the way, "Woah, woah guys! Take it easy," Yuugi couldn't help the laughter bubbling in his chest, "There's no need to push."

The smile never seemed to leave Yuugi's lips as the group began to settle down and sit on the bed. No matter what time of day, this group always was full of energy and ready to bustle around. Yuugi wasn't sure if it was their age or if it was their actual personality, but he didn't care: they were all bundles of joy.

Kalo bounced in Yuugi's lap, "Yuugi! We saw a maid carrying food up here, but we already knew the King was at breakfast."

Kley continued the story, "When we asked what she was doing, she said that you weren't at breakfast!"

Kora nodded her head, "She said that you were sick."

"You aren't really sick, are you?" Kore asked with large concerned eyes.

Yuugi chuckled, "Yami seems to think that I am, but I'm just tired," he looked around the room towards the cart that was forgotten by the couch, "What happened to the maid?"

"We asked her if we could bring you the food," Kelst clarified.

"Yeah, we wanted to see you ourselves!" Khloe stated which got a round of agreement.

Yuugi's look softened as he smiled at the group, "Thank you," he hugged Kalo to his chest which the other boy returned. Seeing the exchange, the other siblings joined in and Yuugi felt his body warm with happiness.

Kora clapped her hands, grabbing everyone's attention, "Alright. Operation serve Yuugi breakfast starts. Right. Now!"

Faster than Yuugi could blink, the group of children sprung off of the bed and into action in a fit of giggles. Most stormed the cart, grabbing different items from it and placing them all on the coffee table while other kids cleared the space for him. Some banter passed between their lips, but Yuugi could tell it was all playful. Any order that Kora quipped at them was answered with more laughter and any comment from Kore was brushed off with a smile. Together, they had his breakfast set and ready within mere seconds.

Yuugi stared dumbly at the display of food with each of the siblings lined neatly beside it. They all sported bright smiles as they held their arms out towards the food, inviting him to be their guest.

"It's ready now!" Kalo sang.

Yuugi smiled as he got out of bed and walked over, "You guys had that planned before you came in, didn't you?" he was only met with sly giggles at he took his seat on the couch. Yuugi took a moment to look at the food and then back to the group. There didn't look to be enough food for them all and when they didn't move to sit down, Yuugi decided to inquire about it, "Where's your food?"

"Mama already fed us this morning," Kore explained before scruntching up his nose, "although it was daddy that cooked today."

Kalo clapped his hands in excitement, "He burned the biscuits again!" the comment set off another wave of laughter from the set.

"Mama got mad and told him that he can't cook with the oven anymore," Kannon laughed.

Yuugi smiled as their jovial mood eradicated any thoughts of the bad night he had, "So you all have been up for a while now, huh?"

Khloe nodded her head, "Yup, yup! We always wake up with mama so that we can help her in the kitchen."

"If we're good, then we all get one of the breakfast sweets!" Kley exclaimed.

The group began to describe the many various treats that they had accumilated over the years by helping their mother. It made for nice noise as Yuugi did his ritual and began to eat his food. While he felt weird being the only one eating, the children seemed more interested in the stories they had to tell him. Most of the time he spent listening as they left no room for him to comment. Not that he minded, their lives always seemed to be a great adventure.

As he ate Yuugi began to feel better and the shadows of his nightmares disappeared in the blue lights. The heat from before was gone, the nightmares seemed earased from his memory, and the lack of sleep became only a minor discomfort; although, he bet the escess energry that the group gave off helped to wake him up. Everything was back to normal by the time he finished eating, but the children were far from finished with their stories.

"There was one time that daddy tried to cook a dinner for mama becuase it was her birthday," Kannon started.

"He even invited us to help him cook!" Kore aded.

"But it didn't go quite as he wanted it," Kelst stated with a giggled.

"By the time mama came home from work, daddy had burned two spoons, broken three bowels, and there was black dust everywhere!" Kalo laughed.

Kora giggled as the memory flashed in her mind, "She was so mad when she came home, her face turned red."

Khloe nodded,"Yeah, but that was when Kalo jumped into a pile that we made out of the dust."

"That's right!" Kley smiled with recognition flashing in his grey eyes, "Me, Kora, and Kelst where sweeping the floor so that mama wouldn't see it by the time she came home, but Kalo decided to jump in the pile for fun."

Kelst clapped her hands together, "The cloud that poofed from the jump filled the entire kitchen. We were so afraid that mama would be mad, but when the dust began to settle, she was in a fit of laughter."

"In the end, we had to help daddy clean up the mess while mama cooked us dinner," Kannon finished.

"Yup, and it's all thanks to this guy that it took us so long," Kore accused with a smile as he wrapped an arm around Kalo's shoulders.

"Hey! It's also because of me that we didn't have to eat daddy's dirt pudding."

"Ooooh, I'm gonna tell daddy that you called his food dirt," Kley teased.

"Don't you dare!" Kalo laughed as he tried to tackle the wavy-haired boy.

The action sparked a chase scene around the room, that Yuugi had to give up watching. They were moving so fast in so many different directions that it hurt his head to focus on them for too long. So long as they didn't break anything in the room, he saw no harm in letting them run free. Beside's they needed a way to let out some of their excess energy: if that was even possible. Yuugi was begging to think that it wasn't. Still, if they were going to hang around with him all day, he didn't know if he would be able to keep up with them with this much energy. He was still feeling bogged down by the lack of sleep he had gotten.

Leaning back against the couch, Yuugi let his head stare up at the ceiling. His eyes traced the multiple fabrics that connected at the ceiling in one hodge-podge of color and texture. While the multiple colors and patterns should have made his eyes dizzy and his head spin, Yuugi found that if he let his eyes unfocus, then they all became managble. In fact, it turned into a beautiful kolidescope that matched the energy and sound that buzzed around him from the kids.

The longer he stared, however, the more he noticed something moving along the fabric. It was small and quick as a shadow, but it stood out amongst the plethora of imagery. No matter how hard he tried to focus on it, it remained elusive as it jumped from fabric to fabric and yet caused no movement.

Then he ran down one of the curtains.

Yuugi's head shot up as he followed the shadow down the wall and across the floor. He had to stand up in order to keep track of it as it moved behind the furniture and into every nook and cranny it could find. When the shadow slipped behind the couch, Yuugi ran after it in order to keep it in sight; however, when he got behind it, the shadow had already moved across the room towards the hidden-door mirror. Yuugi bolted after it, but as soon as he had it cornered, his own shadow overlapped it and it disappeared. He huffed as he leaned his shoulder against the cool surface and stared up at the ceiling. His skin was burning.

"Yuugi?"

Said teen blinked and looked down to see the seven siblings encircling him, each sporting a concerned gaze, "What is it?"

They all looked at eachother and then back to him, "Why did you run over here?" Kora asked.

Yuugi opened his mouth to answer them but promptly shut it. What could he tell them? He wasn't sure if what he saw was a shadow or if it was an actual being? All he did know was that it showed up and that he couldn't look away from it.

"I-It's nothing," he smiled, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you."

Yuugi breathed a sigh of relief when the kids bought the lie and shrugged their shoulders. Within seconds they were smiling and telling stories of more of their father's cooking fails all the while they were cleaning up the mess from Yuugi's breakfast.

Yuugi smiled fondly as the kids cleaned up his mess. It was such a sweet gesture that he wans't used to popele doing for him: much less little kids. Back at home, he had been the one to clean up after dinner or after his friends when they played together. He didn't mind it, really, because his friends or mother would be doing something else in the time it took for him to clean. Jonouchi often had stories to tell, Anzu had a new crush to fawn over, and his mother always had past memories to relive. While Kalo and his siblings treated him no differently than his friends and family, he had to admit that it was nice to have someone clean up for him without asking.

He shook his head as his skin absorbed the cool temperature and his mind began to clear. Deciding that he felt well enough and that he wanted to leave the room, Yuugi walked over to the vanity and began getting ready for the day. Kalo and his siblings busied themselves with small games amongst themselves that Yuugi only half paid attention to. Their jovial chatter was enough for him to feel happy.

As he glanced back at the group through the mirror, he smiled as they all began to run away from Khloe who had picked up a pillow and was chasing them with it. His eye kept shifting between applying the new ma'an and watching the group play just in case one of them got hurt. It was all fun and game until someone rolled an ankle and he didn't want to feel the wrath of their mother and father. While it wasn't his fault for them getting hurt, they were still under his supervision.

With his ma'an done, Yuugi began picking through the pile of jewelry, but he faltered as he looked back at the kids. The ring he was holding slipped from his fingers and clanged on the desk as he stared at the large black cat that stood in the center of the room.

It stood just shy of the top of the ceiling and its body would've stretched the length of the room had it not been sitting. It's enormous tail narrowly avoided the furniture as it tossed from side to side and its large blue eyes bore back at Yuugi. The teen began to shake as cat watched him with all-knowing eyes. He was frozen to the chair.

The laughter of the kids was dulled as though someone shoved cotton in his ears. The feeling began to make his head hurt. They ran around the cat as though it did not exist and it unnerved Yuugi that they couldn't see it. It was such a large creature, it was hard to miss and yet…

The fear of turning around kept Yuugias still as a statue. If he turned around, then he would have to face the creature head-on. There would be no mirror to give him a reflection of the beast: it would be the real thing. Then again, what if he turned around and the cat was gone. What if it disappeared? Did that mean it wasn't real? Maybe it was just a magic trick, after all, he had seen quite a bit of magic since he came to Lelania. Honestly, he didn't know which scared him more.

Kalo ran in front of the cat only to get glomped by Khloe. The rest of the siblings dog piled on top of the two in a fit a laughter. They were blissfully unaware of the massive paw that was rising above them. Yuugi watched in horror as the paw began to descend upon the group. His heart began to race, his palms were sweaty, and his eyes widened. If they didn't move, they would die!

A surge of adrenaline shot through Yuugi and he jumped to his feet, knocking over the vanity stool in the process, but he didn't care. The furniture clanged loudly on the floor as he bolted after the pile of siblings who stared at him in shock.

"Yuugi? Are you okay?"

Yuugi blinked at the group and slowed to a stop. His eyes darted around the area searching for the danger he had just seen, but it was nowhere to be found. No paw, no cat, no shadow. It was all gone and he was left with a confused group of siblings.

His chest heaved erratically as he tried to calm his heart rate. Yuugi leaned against the couch and rose a hand to his chest while he let his eyes slip closed. The cat wasn't there, there was no danger to be found. He should've felt happy knowing that everyone was safe, but he didn't. At least, not completely.

Sure the danger was gone, but he still couldn't tell if the danger was even real in the first place. He had seen the cat many times before, each with something new in store, but he had yet to see it so big: it was menacing. Did this mean that the cat wasn't real? Maybe it was just all-powerful? Maybe even a god? If so, then what did it want with him? Was it trying to hurt him or his friends? Yuugi didn't know.

He shook his head and opened his eyes just a crack, "You know what, maybe I really am sick."

Kelst got up from the dog pile and walked over to Yuugi, "Will you still be able to play with us?"

"Kelst, if he's sick, then he needs to rest," Kora reprimanded as she helped her other siblings out of the dog pile.

"But I wanted to spend the day with Yuugi," Kalo whined.

"If Yuugi gets too sick then we won't be able to see him for a long time, though," Kore reasoned.

Tears brimmed Kalo's eyes, "But I wanted to see Yuugi today."

Yuugi sighed internally as he watched the once jovial group turn glum. It's not as if he didn't want to spend time with them -in fact, the idea of hanging with them made him ecstatic- but he wasn't sure if he was okay to be around them. If the fumes had really made him ill, then he should rest and give his body the time to heal. Still, he didn't want to be alone all day. Yami and Yusei would probably be a meeting all day what with the new ball coming up and he had no idea how to contact Mana. While he knew he could go outside, the thought of doing so without Yami or Yusei frightened him.

Yuugi let out a soft breath, "As long as we don't do anything too strenuous, I should be able to stay with you guys."

Kalo burst into a large smile, "Yes! We get to play with Yuugi today!"

"Wait!" Kannon interrupted, "Didn't we say that we would help mama today?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot," Kalo whispered dejectedly. His gloom spread to the rest of the siblings as they all realized that they would be unable to play with Yuugi that day.

Yuugi watched the group as their shoulders slumped and their heads tilted downwards, each supporting their own rain cloud. The sight made him want to laugh. They were so young and so focused on the present: all they wanted to do was just have fun. It reminded him of his friend Jonouchi who was just as one-track minded as these kids. Jonouchi always knew how to bring something new into his life thanks to his sporadic nature. If he wanted to do something, he would do it and there was no stopping him. If he was in the mood for something, he would find a way to get it done. Yuugi remembered how one-time Jonouchi had the urge to see something new and try something completely different. The teen's solution was to travel and sail to China. At first, Yuugi thought he was only joking, but when he found the teen trying to swindle a captain out of a ship, Yuugi knew just how serious he was. It took the help of his mother and Anzu, but they managed to reel him back in before the captain could cave.

A pang of sadness gripped his chest. Back then, he had been so afraid that Jonouchi would leave him that he had been in tears as he pleaded to the blonde not to leave. The thought of being alone had gripped his heart in a vice and refused to let him go even after Jonouchi agreed to stay; however, the pain continued to linger. Days after the incident, Yuugi continued to be glued at the hip to the blonde, never letting the taller out of his sights for a moment. The fear had lingered in his mind as though Jonouchi was still on that dock with the captain mere sentences from leaving the country. It was only after Jonouchi yelled at him for some space that Yuugi had finally left his friend alone.

If that was how he felt when Jonouchi was _about_ to leave, then what did they all feel now that he _w_ _as_ gone. Were they worried about him? Where they still searching? Have they given up? Were they falling apart?

Yuugi shook his head in an effort to rid himself from the sting of oncoming tears. They burned at his eyelids, threatening to collect and spill over. He didn't want to shed them. He didn't want to think about it.

Using the sleeve of his jacket, Yuugi wiped his eyes, "Well, maybe I can join you as you help your mother. How does that sound?"

They all shared a collective look that grew into beaming grins, "Yes!" they exclaimed before scampering off towards the door.

Yuugi chuckled as he followed after them slowly. His head still felt light, but he figured that if he moved slow enough, he would be okay. Once in the hall, most of them began to run ahead in a game of tag. Kora, Kore, and Kley hung back to walk with Yuugi.

"So," Yuugi stared as he kept a watchful eye on the four siblings ahead of him, "What is it that we're going to help your mother with?"

Kley began to skip backwards so he could look at Yuugi, "Mama is helping the kitchen prepare for the big ball. Since she can't help with the cooks, she's helping the servers prepare for the ball."

Yuugi smiled, "Now that sounds like fun."

Kore giggled, "That's why we help mama so much: she always does the cool stuff!"

"That and she sneaks us sweets if we behave," Kora added.

Yuugi opened his mouth to comment when a scream from in front of them froze him in place. For a moment he thought it was just in his head, that he was just imagining it, but when Kore, Kley, and Kora froze too, he knew that it was real. In a split second, Yuugi was sprinted towards the remaining siblings who were cowering just a ways away.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Yuugi asked as soon as he got close enough. His head rushed with the sudden movement, but he was stable within a few seconds. Kalo, Kannon, Kelst, and Khloe were huddled together in fear as they stared petrified at something in front of them.

Kelst was the only one to answer as he pointed in front of them, "The cat is back!"

Stepping around the group, Yuugi noticed that, indeed, the black cat was standing in the middle of the hall looking tense and ready to attack if they came too close. Yuugi's stomach dropped as he watched the feline's tail flick menacingly through the air. He waited for the cat to do something, anything, out of the ordinary to let him know what kind of a danger they were in. Would it morph the floor? Change its shape? Multiply? Teleport?

The cat looked towards Yuugi and the two locked eyes; however, Yuugi didn't feel frozen in place. The feline's stare wasn't menacing or mocking, nor did it hold some secret that he didn't know; instead, the deep blue eyes were grounded and calm. They made him feel safe, although exposed as it stared into his soul, trying to read him.

Yuugi flickered his eyes from the cat to the siblings. They all reacted to his presence and they all could see him; however, they couldn't see him before. Maybe it was because the cat was small? No, because neither Yami, Yusei or Mana had seen it when it was small. Maybe Lelania was just full of magical cats and he didn't know it.

Yuugi let out a shaky breath and offered a kind smile to the creature, "Why hello," he took a step towards it and when it remained in place he continued, "What are you doing here?"

"Yuugi be careful! It could hurt you again," Kley warned as he hid behind his siblings.

Yuugi shook his head: he didn't feel like this cat would hurt him, "Are you going to be joining us today? We were just going to help Kalypto get ready for the ball," he was mere feet away from the feline when he stopped and crouched to the ground. If it wanted to watch them all day, he would rather it be in sight; however, if it was just passing in the halls, then it would walk away without any more interactions.

The cat stared at him before it looked over to the siblings. When it looked back to Yuugi, its claws retracted and it moved into a more relaxed position. It shook its fur down before lowering its body into a stretch. No one else moved as the cat de-stressed itself, although, the siblings were still unsure about the animal. After it straightened, the cat padded over to Yuugi.

Yuugi had to hold his breath in order to stop shaking. Even though this cat didn't look menacing or threatening, images of the cats from before and what they could do flashed through his mind. He didn't know what to think of this one. The siblings seemed able to see it, but did that mean it was okay? When he had first met a cat, it never did anything to harm him and back then, everyone could see it. Maybe it was just shy in front of others? No, this cat didn't feel shy. Not one bit.

Once the cat was in front of him, it jumped up and landed gracefully on Yuugi's shoulder. The action caused Yuugi to flinch, but as he relaxed, he realized that this cat felt heavier than before. While he didn't think it was so heavy he could collapse, he didn't remember the cat having such weight for the past few days. Before, the cat felt almost weightless, but now it felt… normal.

Cautiously, Yuugi rose a hand towards the cat, keeping his eyes glued for any movement that it could make. When his hand was almost touching the black fur, the cat gave him a confused look that made Yuugi stop moving. It looked between his eyes and the hand that was mere inches from its face. Yuugi couldn't help but hold his breath.

He nearly jumped when it pushed its head into his hand.

Yuugi let out a shuddering breath as he began petting the black fur that felt course and soft at the same time, "See?" he turned to the group of siblings who looked at him with uncertainty, "He's nice."

"Are you sure?" Kalo asked from behind Khloe.

Yuugi nodded and stood up, "I'm positive. Come on, if we don't get there soon enough, your mother might have everything finished."

Their nods were slow at first, but they all turned into smiles as the group ran past Yuugi and down the hall. They stayed wary of the cat that remained perched on Yuugi's shoulder but otherwise went back to normal. Once more, they seemed to have engaged in a group-wide game of tag as they raced down the halls.

When the kids were far away enough, Yuugi looked at the animal on his shoulder. It was watching him, but it felt thoughtful instead of menacing. The stare didn't make him want to freeze up and hope he was invisible to the animal's eye. It was simply observing.

Yuugi chuckled to himself, "You sure are a weird cat," he whispered, but the cat tilted its head in question. Yuugi shook his head and went back to watching the children, "I don't know, it's just," he sighed as he took a moment to think, "Are cats in Lelania magical?"

The cat blinked and Yuugi rushed to explain himself, "I know that there are cat people in Lelania, otherwise I don't know how else to explain Yusei, but back on Earth, cats are normal. They just do whatever they want. Now that I'm here, you seem to have a knack for staying hidden in the shadows, but you seem normal otherwise," he let out an exasperated laugh, "I say that, and yet I have seen you do so many other things. I've seen you multiply, change your size, even warp the world," Yuugi cast a solemn look to the floor, "It's scary, honestly because it feels like I'm the only one who can see you."

As he glanced at the cat, he was surprised to see it giving him such a calculating gaze in return. The information swam in its eyes as it processed what Yuugi had just said and tried to make sense of it. Amethyst eyes blinked when disbelief flashed in its focused, blue eyes.

"It is you doing all that stuff," Yuugi questioned, "Isn't it?" despite his best effort, fear still crept into his voice as the question passed his lips. It had to have been the same cat doing all of these tricks, right? It couldn't be that every cat just looked exactly the same and decide to hang around the castle now. There was only one cat that ha looked different from the others, and that had been the one with striking yellow eyes that strike fear into his soul; however, he hadn't seen that cat in a while.

"Yuugi, we're here."

"Yeah, hurry up!"

Yuugi blinked as the children's voices cut through his thoughts. With a shake of his head, he noticed that they were near a door that he had not been through before, and when they opened it up, they were standing in a small room that almost looked like a servant corner. There was a small doorway in the back on the room that Yuugi could tell led into the kitchen considering the noise, smell and fog that floated from it. The room itself was rather plain, sporting dark wood walls, black marble floors and the traditional blue gem lamps that lit up the room. There were two windows on the far wall that sported an elegant wrought iron design of the glorean plant. Below the windows were oak tables that were covered in a dark grey tablecloth. In the center of the room was a large circular table with an array of plain wooden chairs surrounding it. Along the sides of the room were a multitude of drawers, chests, and closest, with carved designs of swirls embedded with pearls and rubies. There were only two maids in the room, sitting on the far table, each with a mug of hot liquid in their hands. Then, sitting at the large table with an open wooden box, was Kalypto.

As the door clicked shut, Kalypto flicked her eye to the group before dropping the box and standing up, "My children!" she announced as she walked around the table.

Kalo and his siblings could barely contain their joy at seeing their mother and took off at a sprint to meet her. With the elegance of a practiced mother, Kalypto welcomed the siblings into her arms and kissed them all on their heads. The children giggled an squirmed in their mother's hug as they each tried to gain more of her attention.

The sight brought a tear to Yuugi's eye as he thought back to his own mother and how overjoyed she would feel if he came home.

"There you are. I was afraid that I would have to polish the silverware on my own," Kalypto commented as she rose off of the ground.

The siblings allowed her to stand as they settled into a half-circle in front of her, "We had breakfast with Yuugi this morning," Kalo explained.

Her black eyes slid over to Yugi who had yet to move further inwards than the door. An elegant eyebrow rose in the air as her lips split into a knowing grin, "So I see," she gesture the teen closer and he obeyed; however, as soon as he was close enough she whispered, "You forgot the tiara."

Yuugi paled as his hands flew up to his head. Indeed, the weight and the cold bite of metal was not resting on his head. He shot her a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry. I must've forgotten."

She chuckled and shook her head, "No worries, my boy. I see no offense in the act," she blinked as she spotted the cat resting on his shoulder, "I see you've brought a friend as well."

"I hope you don't mind. He won't cause any trouble, I promise," Yuugi swore.

Kalypto waved it off, "I have no mind for it. Come, come, we have a lot to do to prepare for the ball."

The family all sat at the table and still only took up half of the seats. After gathering a few more items, they began a process of polishing the silverware. Kalypto would pick out a silverware and then pass it to Kalo who rubbed the metal down in a bowl of soapy water. Kalo would then pass the silverware to Kannon who washed off the excess soap in a bowl of clean water. Then it was handed to Kore and Kely who dumped the silverware in a special solution and scrubbed them down with a cloth. After them, it went to Khloe who rinsed the liquid off one more time warm water before it went to Kelst who dried it off and handed it to Kora. Kora took a little bit of silver polish to finish off the metal before it went to Yuugi would set them aside according to what utensil it was.

The process went on for what seemed like forever, but luckily, it was far from boring. Between sibling challenges, stories, and mini-games, it was hard to have a dull moment for the hours they spent cleaning the silverware. Anytime they finished one box, Kalypto would materialize another and the process would begin all over again. Whenever the tasks became mundane, the family would switch it up and responsibilities would change. By the time they were on their last box, everyone was a master at every polishing job.

"So is this all you needed to do today?" Yuugi asked as he dried off a knife and handed it to Kalypto.

"Oh far from it. Once the silverware is polished then we have to wrap them in napkins and decorations," she stated casually.

Yuugi balked, "Are you serious?" if it had taken them this long just to polish the silverware how long would it take them to package them up with a little bow?

The cat yawned as it stretched out on the table. When it realized that they were going to stay in the same room, it had left Yuugi's shoulder for the comfort of the oak table and there it stayed drifting in an out of sleep. Yuugi envied its ability to sleep through the noisy family.

Kalypto chuckled, "I didn't expect to get all of the silverware done today; although, this certainly is further than I thought we would get," she sighed, "still, we can't move on to decoration until Saphia and Coral get back."

Yuugi tilted his head, "Back from where?"

She shook her head as she placed a knife amongst the large pile, "Oh back from the King. He has to pass the final decision on everything."

Yuugi chuckled at the information. He knew that Yami would probably be difficult to get any answer out of concerning what the decorations should be. His brain was on bigger details and problems that the council presented him with, so he wouldn't find time to bother with color coding. If left up to Yami, this ball could be poorly decorated or monochrome.

The image of two maids chasing Yami around the castle pooped in his mind and laughter bubbled in his chest. No matter how many questions they asked, Yami's mind would be elsewhere, and he would ignore them all day. It looked like the maids would either have to give up and make the choices on their own or be prepared for some last minute decisions.

Just then, the door open and in walked two younger looking maids. They panted heavily and their shoulders sagged in defeat as the hobbled over to the table. Kalypto stopped what she was doing an put her hands on her hips.

"I'm guessing that means a 'no' on everything?"

The shorter girl shook her head, "He wouldn't even look at us. We followed him between meetings and talks with the council and he still never spoke a word with us. I don't know what to do."

Kalypto clicked her tongue, "Oh that boy. Don't worry, Coral. We'll think of something."

Yuugi offered the tired girls a smile as they sat down at the table, "I'm sorry about his manors. He's just got a lot going on."

The shorer maid, Safia, blinked as she looked at him. Slowly recognition fled into her eyes and her face became full of energy, "Young Lover, you can pick out the color!"

Yuugi blinked as Coral nodded, "That's right! If the King can't make a decision, then surely you can."

In the blink of an eye, both were on their feet and surrounding Yuugi. A sweet scent hit his nose as they leaned in, but he didn't have time to ponder it as they pulled him out of his seat. They then held out their arms that were now draped in a rainbow of colorful napkins.

"Tell us, which color should we use for the silverware?" Coral asked with exuberance.

Yuugi stalled as he was faced with the array of options, "Uh, what about this one?" he reached forward and picked up a blood red napkin that felt as soft as silk under his fingers.

"Perfect!" Safia exclaimed as she grabbed the fabric and threw it on the table. The two of them moved in a flurry of speed and before Yuugi knew it, they were displaying countless strings each decorated with beads and gemstones.

"What about for the wrap around the napkins? Keep in mind, most of the guests do take these home," Coral explained with a wide smile.

Yuugi gulped as he scanned over the options presented to him, "I think, I like this one," he commented as he pointed to one across Coral's arm. It was a black string with yellow and white circular beads tied on it and on the very ends were a gold and silver star, "But I don't like the end beads."

"Are there any of the beads on the other strings that look right?" Safia prompted.

Yuugi pondered for a moment, "These. I like these," he picked up a white string that had blue and green beads, but on the end were a diamond and aquamarine teardrop, "I like these end beads."

"Oh, it's beautiful, Young Lover. I love it!" Coral snatched the string out of his hand and paired it with the other string he had picked out, "We shall get to fixing this right way."

As fast as they came, Safia and Coral dashed out of the room to get started on their new task. All Yuugi could do was stare at the now empty space in front of him.

Kalypto laughed, "Aren't they just two balls of energy?" she picked up the discarded napkin on the table, "Hmm, I think I know where to get these. Stay here and I'll be back with them so we can at least get started on wrapping the silverware."

Kalo and his siblings waved goodbye as their mother walked out of the room before they focused their attention on finishing the silverware. No one bothered to talk to Yuugi as he stood behind the group: they were too absorbed in their task to remember he was there. Yuugi didn't mind though. Between the siblings and now those two girls, he was beginning to feel a bit drained of energy.

His head felt light and his muscles felt tired and weak. He didn't notice that he was swaying until he had to grab a chair to support him. Yuugi blinked as he tried to get a grip on his balance, his knuckles turned white as he gripped the back of the chair. It was then that he could focus on the scent the girls left behind. It was faint and merely a whisper on the wind, but the sweet scent of glorean wafted in his nose.

Black fur entered his vision as it brushed against his arms soothingly. The cat sat down so that Yuugi could look at it dead in the face. Its blue eyes held concern.

Yuugi mustered up a smile, "I'm okay. Those girls were just a bit too high energy for me," his head began to feel dizzy.

The longer he watched the cat, the more he noticed that its shadow didn't look quite right. It looked big for a creature so dainty and its posture was more tense and frigid. What was most weird was that while the cat brushed its tail against his skin, its shadow kept flicking its tail behind it.

With every swish of the shadow's tail, the table began to morph under it as though it was nothing but water. Yuugi's eyes widened as he watched it and he took a few steps back. He didn't want to watch it morph the table again, but he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Flicks of black fell off o the shadow's tail and crawled across the table like maggots. They inched their way closer to him in slow movements as they glided unnaturally over the dark wood. They wiggled and wormed, their bodies twisting as if they were drying out in the sun, but their progress remained steady as they drew nearer. He began to shake when the shadows reached the edge. They couldn't…

The shadows stalled on the edge and waited, writhing in place. More lined up beside each other until the perimeter was nothing but a wriggling mess of inky black shadows. They would reach out, testing the air, but Yuugi felt like they were reaching for him. They were extending their grip as far as they could until they could graze skin and cut into it.

Yuugi screamed when the shadows morphed together and jumped off of the table. The mass towered over him and spread around him until it was all he could see. There was no light, no shapes, no noise, just the ever-moving mass of shadows and they were drawing closer. The shadows began to close in, reaching out to grab at him. Desperate to get out of its reach yet seeing no way out, Yuugi fell to the ground and covered his ears. He didn't want to hear his own screams or the sound of flesh ripping from bone.

Instead of the icy embrace of shadows, Yuugi was met with a soft hand on his shoulder. His head sprung up and his eye shot open, desperate to see just what had touched him. His eyes widened when he was met with the concerned face of Kalypto. Behind her, Kalo and the rest were all watching him with expressions of confusion and fear.

Yuugi took in deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. His mind was in a panic, rewatching the scene and trying to break down just what happened; however, he came up shorthanded. Was it real? It sure felt that way. Was it the cat? Maybe, but it did seem different from the rest. Was he in any real danger? He had no idea.

"Yuugi, what's wrong?" Kalypto prompted as she rubbed soothing circles on his back.

"I-I don't know. I just… I thought-" his gaze was focused on his hands that refused to steady as the adrenaline still coursed through his veins.

"Shh, shh, it's alright," she wrapped her arms around his shaking form, drawing him into a warm hug, "Just breath, just breath."

"What happened here?"

Yuugi looked over Kalypto's shoulder towards the new voice, "Yusei? What are you…"

The Neko walked forward and kneeled beside Yuugi, then he rose a hand to his forehead, "You're hot."

Yuugi shook his head even though he could feel his skin burning, "I'm fine."

Yusei narrowed his eyes at him for a split second, Yuugi almost he thought he imagine it, but the other turned his calculating stare to Kalypto before he had more time to ponder it, "What happened?"

Kalypto shook her head, "I don't know. I just came in when Yuugi screamed and fell to his knees. I ran over, but he didn't respond until I touched his shoulder," she ran a hand through Yuugi's hair.

Yusei's blue eyes turned to Yuugi and he knew just what he wanted. Yusei wanted him to explain what had actually happened, what he had seen, but the thing was, he didn't know how; moreover, it probably didn't matter. If he was as sick as Yami and Yusei told him, then it wasn't anything to worry about: he just needed rest. Besides, if he did describe what he saw, what would they think? Would they call him crazy? Would they call him a liar?

Yuugi shook his head, "It's nothing. I guess I'm just more tired then I thought I would be."

Yusei stayed still for a moment before he stood up, "We're leaving. Now."

Yuugi felt like arguing, especially considering that he did want to stay and help prepare for the ball, but he knew that he shouldn't. If he really was sick, then he shouldn't contaminate the decorations. He nodded, "Alright."

After whispering his thanks to Kalytpyo, Yuugi stood up and walked over to Yusei. They stared at each other for a second before Yusei turned and began to head towards the door. Yuugi tossed apologizes to the group of children who watched him leave in sorrow. As they walked passed the door, Yuugi even noticed a large basket full of the crimson napkins that he had picked out and were now forgotten on the floor. Kalypto must have dropped them the moment she heard him scream. After the door clicked closed, Yuugi noticed with a violent chill that he had not seen the cat anywhere in the room.

As they walked, Yuugi couldn't help the urge to explain himself that bubbled in his chest, "It really isn't that bad. I'm just tired," Yusei only flicked an ear in response, "I know Yami didn't want me to move around today, but I felt fine earlier," the Neko continued to look forward, "I've had a fever before, I should be fine in a day or so."

Yusei turned his head and locked eyes with Yuugi. The teen could see some semblance of emotion swirl under that cold, blue eye as the elder thought over his words in his head. His eyes were calculating, assessing Yuugi as he onced the boy over. Then he looked forward once more, his jaw set tight.

Yuugi cast his eyes to the floor when it was clear that he wouldn't get a word from the other. As he walked, he could see Yusei's tail as it brushed against the floor with each step. It was so similar to the other cats that he had seen and yet looked so different. His fur looked _real_. Just like the cat that jumped on his shoulder, the fur looked more defined, sharper, and more rigid. It wasn't silky or perfect like most of the other cats he had seen lately and it confused him. It could be that they all had different fur, but that didn't seem likely. Maybe the other cats weren't real and that was why no one else could see them. Perhaps they were nothing but a figment of his imagination.

While the illness would explain the reason for them, there was no explanation for the cats he had seen on the cliff the day he and Yami were saved. There had been _thousands_ of cats, all identical, and all in one place. If he wasn't sick then, what could have caused them?

It was a tempting thought to think about, that they weren't real, but they felt real to his body. His brain saw them as a real threat and the fear he felt in their presence was real. There had to be a way to tell if they were real or not.

Yuugi stopped walking, "Hey, Yusei?"

The other stopped and turned towards him, his ears perked to listen to what Yuugi had to say. Yuugi bit his lip and shuffled his feet as the thought ran across his mind once more.

"Can I… can I touch your ears?" he refused to meet the other's eyes.

"Why?"

"So that… I can see what they feel like," he slowly rose his eyes to meet Yusei's and was met with hesitance, "I know it's weird, but it's important."

"..."

"..."

"... Fine."

With a grateful smile, Yuugi closed the space between him an Yusei. The Neko didn't back down as he entered his space, and his eyes remained unblinking as he watched Yuugi move. Yuugi had a feeling that he was trying to read him, trying to figure out the real reason behind this sudden request, but Yuugi kept up the best poker face that he could. He just needed to know what they felt like.

Taking a shuddering breath, Yuugi reached up and touched his friends ears. They flickered once as his fingers merely ghosted over the delicate fur. Yuugi held his breath as he pressed his fingers against the black fur. It was warm and soft to the tough, but he could feel each fiber as it pressed against him. He could feel the pointed ends of each strand that pricked his flesh. It was rough and silken at the same time. it was _real_.

As Yuugi released his breath he retreated his hand to his side. Yusei's ears flicked a couple times before they settled into place once more. The air was awkward between them as they stared at each other. Yuugi shifted his feet and flicked his gaze away only to return to Yusei who had yet to move. As the seconds passed, Yuugi tried to think of something to say, he even opened his mouth to let words through only to end up short and look away.

"Thanks," Yuugi whispered with his eyes glued to his feet.

Yuugi took a step back when he didn't hear Yusei reply. Did he offend the Neko? Was he not supposed to touch his ears? Maybe he was still trying to figure out why he wanted to feel them. Yuugi couldn't tell, nor did he want to figure out. The last thing he wanted was to make things awkward between them: he didn't want to lose any friends.

"Uh," Yuugi swallowed the lump in his throat, "we should probably keep going," this time, he didn't wait for Yusei; instead, he walked around him and continued towards his room.

When he heard Yusei's steps behind him, a wave of relief washed over him. At least Yusei didn't hate him for it; although, he couldn't fathom what would be wrong with the action. Was it weird? Yes, but was it the worst someone could do? Far from it. Perhaps it was something that they both acknowledged and moved on from. That sounded like a good idea.

"High Council, let us break for an hour or so and then continue with the meeting."

"But, my King, some of these matters are quite urgent. If we could just get through them now-"

"Councilor Odamanai, we have been discussing this through breakfast, lunch and most of the afternoon. Let us rest and then continue with the meeting."

Yuugi blinked as the voices journeyed from around the corner to him. Even from this far away, he could hear the exasperated-ness in Yami's voice: even Odamanai, despite her urging to continue, had a hint of fatigue in her words. If it was true that they had been at the same meeting since this morning, then it would be tiring on all ends. Considering yesterday was nothing but a continuous meeting, Yuugi was surprised to see the councilors still pushing to continue without a break.

As he rounded the corner he was able to see Yami with all members of the King's High Council behind him. Most kept a blank face, but Yuugi could see the shadows under their eyes and the slouched shoulders.

"My King, if we don't get this settled before the ball then-"

"Odamanai," Yami snapped as he whirled to face her. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes to calm himself before he continued, "I understand the urgency of the situation, and I appreciate your vigor to get the job done, but we all need a break, otherwise, none of us will be able to plan anything," even though his gratitude was spoken through grit teeth, the rest of his statement was genuine.

Odamanai looked to the other councilors before she nodded her head at Yami, "Alright. We shall meet back again in two hours: that should give us all an efficient amount of time to rest before coming together."

The group turned from the King and began to walk away. Yuugi could see Yami's shoulders visibly relax as a sigh past his lips. His crimson eyes slipped closed as he leaned against the nearest wall and tilted his head back.

Rumonbothe glanced back at Yami and stuffed his nose in the air, "The old King was more efficient in his decision making. He actually got things done."

Crimson eyes snapped open as his sharp glare stabbed at the older councilor who already had turned away. Just as he pushed off of the wall and faced the retreating group, Yuugi ran up beside him and placed a calming hand of the other's shoulder.

"Don't worry about him. I'm sure he's grateful to have a break," Yuugi soothed as a calming feeling washed over him. Being in contact with Yami it soothed his mind and cleared his thoughts. He felt his skin began to cool as the haze left his mind.

"That man is never grateful for anything I do," Yami spat, "but fine. He isn't worth it anyway."

Yuugi glanced over his shoulder to see Yusei walking up to them before he smiled at Yami, "I take it there is still a lot to get done before the ball?"

Yami chuffed, "This was another reason I wanted to hold off on the ball for a little bit. This way we wouldn't be rushing to get everything done. It's fine though," he finally turned around to look at Yuugi, "But what are you doing out of bed?"

"I told you that I wouldn't stay in the room all day," Yuugi tilted his head and rolled his eyes with a smile, "I was feeling better and so helped Kalo and his family get ready for the ball."

Crimson eye flicked behind Yuugi before they reconnected with amethyst, "And Yusei escorting you back to the room has nothing to do with you being too sick to continue?"

Yuugi's eyes widened as he twisted to look at Yusei. The Neko gave him a blank expression and when Yuugi turned back to Yami, there was a knowing smirk on his lips, "Not exactly."

Yami quirked an eyebrow, "Oh?" the smirk on his lips told Yuugi that the other didn't believe him in the slightest.

"Okay it maybe has to do with me getting a little tired while I was helping Kalypto, but it wasn't anything big."

Another flick to Yusei and Yami's smirk twitched downwards, "Yusei seems to think otherwise."

Yuugi waved it off and masked the pooling fear in his gut with a smile, "I'm fine really. We were just heading back to the room right now."

Yami reached forward and pressed the back of his hand to Yuugi's forehead. His smirk fell into a full frown, "You feel worse than this morning."

Yuugi brushed the hand away, "I'm fine, Yami, honestly. I really don't feel any different than this morning."

Yami gave him a pointed look, "You know I don't believe you."

"Then you're just going to have to trust me," the smiled that curved his lips felt strained and fake.

Yami stayed silent as he stepped closer, wrapped an arm around Yuugi's waist a pulled him to his chest, "I do trust you, but I also believe Yusei."

Yuugi nodded his head and rested his head on Yami's shoulder, "I know."

The seconds that came afterward were soothing to Yuugi's nerves. Between the stimulation from earlier in the day to his efforts to keep Yami and Yusei off his back, he was feeling a little strained on energy. Much himself, he knew that Yami was also under a lot of stress. Running a kingdom seemed in no way easy and with his reluctance and some of the members giving him a hard time, Yuugi was sure Yami was having a hard time keeping his head. At least they had each other to confide in and seek comfort from. That, Yuugi was sure of.

"Oh! My King, there you are!" Safia's high pitched voice bounced off the marble floors, drawing a groan from both Yami and Yuugi. She ran up to the couple, her heels clicking loudly in Yuugi's ears the closer she came, "I had a few questions concerning the decorations."

"Can this wait?" Yami asked.

"Oh, it will only take a minute and I will be out of your way," she was rustling with her clothes and pulling out different pieces of clothe.

Yuugi could feel Yami's muscles tense under his fingers and his chest began to rise and fall faster. Yuugi closed his eyes and sighed while he rubbed his hands along Yami's abdomen and the other's breathing slowed. When he was sure Yami wouldn't lash out at her, Yuugi pulled away, staying within Yamis hold, and turned his head towards her.

"What do you need, Safia?"

Her eyes brightened, "Well I just needed to know what kind of table clothes we were going to use, and then what kind of centerpieces would be on the tables. If they are flowers, then we need to know now so we can order them quickly, but if we go with a stone centerfold then we have to start preparing right away. Oh, and the servers wanted to know what plates were going to be used…"

The longer she rambled went on, the heavier Yuugi's eyelids felt. He managed to stay away, but only out of fear that if he fell asleep then Yami would harm her in some way. He could already feel Yami tensing with each word once more despite the deep breaths he was taking to try and relax. Yuugi chuckled as he leaned against Yami's chest and pushing him slightly to tell him that it was okay to lean back. Yami obliged and rested against the wall with Yuugi hed firmly to his chest.

Yuugi couldn't help the soft smile the graced his lips as he listened to all the options Safia was rolling out to him while being wrapped in Yami's warmth. Every now and then, he would nod his head or point to an option that he liked. Yami didn't bother giving input and instead settled for staring off into space while his fingers massaged Yuugi's lower back.

As Yuugi handed the black cloth with silver and blue embroidery back to Safia, he let his eyes slip to Yusei. He stood off from the group with his arms crossed and his stare trained on Yuugi. The intensity from it made Yuugi squirm, but it was more out of fear than annoyance. He knew something was wrong, but he just didn't know what. Yuugi didn't want him to worry because he was sure that it wasn't anything too bad.

At least, that was what he hoped.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch 4 Today Is a Gift: That's Why It's Called The Present**

Yuugi blinked against the sleep that was slowly creeping in his brain. It wrapped around him like a warm blanket lulling him into slumber despite the focus it took to stand. His eyelids felt heavy and began to droop, forcing him to shake his head violently. Secretly, Yuugi pinched his hand and bit his tongue, hoping that the pain would keep him awake.

"After we announce all of the kingdoms there will be a simple meet and greet, enabling the visitors time to not only mingle but to meet the new king. The night will then finish with a blessing of Mira and peace offerings from the other kingdoms," Lazulin was reading off of a roll of paper, much to Yuugi's appreciation. It was easier to hide his exhaustion.

Yuugi stifled a yawn and nodded, "That sounds simple enough."

Lazulin let out a bark of laughter, "Most of the hard stuff is solved, now it's just the finer details and preparing everything for tomorrow."

Amethyst eyes widened, "Is the ball seriously tomorrow?"

The other nodded his head as he rolled up the paper, "Indeed. It seems as though the waters are flowing fast for Lelania lately," he let out a soft sigh as his pale eyes cast a forlorn look into the distance.

Yuugi tilted his head and almost lost balance. When he was stable and sure that the counselor had not seen him slip, Yuugi spoke, "Do you wish we had more time to prepare for this?"

Lazulin turned his head towards him and looked the teen over. Yuugi offered a kind smile and questioning eyes as he waited patiently for the other's answer. Eventually, the man looked away, "Well, let's just say that I agreed with our King's statement about needing some time to slow down," his voice was hushed, secretive, and for Yuugi's ears only. The teen nodded his head in understanding while the counselor rose his head and took a deep breath, "But that is not the present," he held out the scroll to Yuugi, "For now, you need to take this down to the priests and update them on the final decisions. They may have some last minute details to change, but you should be able to handle it. Also, if they need to change anything, nothing can be rearranged at the start of the ball. Anything on such a short noticed will cause too much to change."

Yuugi nodded as he took the scroll and held it close to his chest, afraid to drop it, "Don't worry. I can handle this."

Lazulin nodded before slipping out of the room presumably to find the rest of the council and help prepare things for the ball. As soon as he as gone, Yuugi leaned against the wall with a heavy thud. A wave a dizziness spelled over him and made his brain fuzzy as he tried to refocus. His ears felt numb and his skin spiked in temperature. Hoping to cool don without anyone noticing, Yuugi tilted his head so that his skin seeped into the wood walls. He could do this task. He could do it.

As the dizziness faded, Yuugi let out a relieved sigh and pushed off of the wall. While he tried to walk lightly, his footsteps fell heavy and thudded against the marble. His feet almost seemed to drag as he struggled to look more awake than he actually was. Similar to the night before, his dreams were filled with nightmares that had him waking nearly every hour.

They were haunting dreams that left him in a cold sweat, and they were not ones that he could easily fall back asleep to. Most of the time, he had to walk around the room in order to calm his nerves before heading off to bed. Somehow Yami had managed to stay asleep through all of his movement, but Yuugi didn't blame him. By the time they both retired for the evening, they were both worn out from the day's activities. Yami had been hounded by maid and councilmen alike all demanding his attention and opinion while Yuugi had been fighting against his illness and keeping up a strong front near Yusei. The Neko had refused to let him out of his sight.

Despite Yami not being awake during his nightmares, his presence was a hunormous comfort to his nerves. Every time Yuugi woke up with a pounding heart and sweaty palms, all he had to do was look at Yami and his fear would nullify because he knew that if Yami was there, then nothing was wrong. Together they could handle anything. Yami gave him the comfort and courage that his nightmares were just dreams and would only exist in the land of sleep; however, his dreams made that almost hard to believe.

Unlike the night before where he dreamed of drowning, last night he dreamt of being chased, His pursuer was unknown to him, but the circumstances were always the same when it appeared. In one dream, Yuugi was sitting at home with his mother and Anzu, they were all reading books. The room shook violently when thunder rumbled and caused the lights to flicker until they went out. Yuugi had gotten up to turn them on again, but they didn't. They only gave off a faint light that was weaker than a candle and did nothing to ward off the shadows that pulsed and crawled along the floor until it ate his mother and Anzu. His own scream had been what woke him out of the nightmare.

Another dream and the one that frightened him the most was of him, Yami, and Mana just walking around the castle, talking. They had found a new location and decided to wander it, but Mana rushed ahead. Yami ran after her, but the second Yuugi went to follow, the lights blacked out. His was left alone in the dark and when he was found a switch, the lights didn't even flicker. Desperate, Yuugi kept flicking the switch, praying for the light, but nothing happened and the shadows began to move. He could sense something leer at him in the darkness, it was grinning as it found its new prey. He could feel it crawling closer, slinking on the ground, the walls, the ceiling, all closing in on him and ready to kill. The second they jumped to slash him, Yami blocked the way. Just before Yuugi shot out of the dream, he saw the boney hand that was stabbed through Yami's chest, glistening with the fresh blood.

Yuugi had laid awake for an hour after that dream. He kept looking towards Yami who laid oblivious next to him and watched as his chest rose and fell, indicating that he was alive. He had been tempted more than once to wake the King, just to make sure that the other was actually alive, but Yuugi restrained himself. While the dream was frightening and had him double-taking every shadow, Yuugi knew it was just a dream. Nothing was real, Yami was alive, and they were both safe. It had just been a dream.

After he woke up for the tenth time that evening, Yuugi gave up on sleep and decided to get ready for the day. When Yami had finally woken, he had been more than surprised to see Yuugi already waiting and ready to go. Yuugi knew he looked exhausted, but he hid it under some make-up he found in the vanity and by keeping a safe distance from Yami. He couldn't spend any more time in that room, he wanted to be near Yami all day: he needed to know that he would be safe. After a short argument, Yuugi had won and was allowed to come to breakfast. Now he was doing all he could to help prepare for the ball, but it was becoming harder to hide the exhaustion that weighted on his bones and the fear that hid behind his eyes.

Yuugi stopped as he stood at the main entrance. The door was right there, staring at him like a bad omen. The thought of going out into town was a daunting one. Tensions were still high from the King's death and Yami's coronation; moreover, he wasn't sure what he would do if one of the Lelanian's lashed out at him. During the times before, it had been Yami who stood in front of the danger, but he couldn't bother him now. He wanted to help Yami, but now he wasn't so sure.

Yuugi shuffled his feet as he fiddled with the roll of paper in his hands. The thought of going and asking a councilmember to come with him left as soon as it came. They were too busy to hold his hand as he went into town. The same went for Kalo and his family. No doubt Kalypto had them all marching around with the servants, decorating and organizing to their heart's content. If he wanted to help, then he would have to go alone.

Releasing an uneasy breath, Yuugi began to walk towards the entrance to the castle.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yuugi shrieked as he whipped around in order to face the accusing voice. As soon as he saw who had spoken, his heart beat faster, "Yusei! I, uh," his amethyst eyes flickered to anyone except the Neko in front of him, "I-I was just going to take this to the priests. Councilman Lazulin wanted me to do it."

"No, you're staying here."

Yuugi snapped his head to Yusei with a hurt expression, "But, Yusei! Please, I just want to help and everyone is so busy, there isn't any reason that I can't."

Deep blue eyes stared at him pointedly, "You're sick."

"But that doesn't mean that I can't help," Yuugi whined, "Please, Yusei, let me just go to the priests and then I promise to come back and stay inside."

There was a pause, "Does Yami know where you're going?"

Yuugi shuffled his feet, "He knows that I'm helping," he waited under that cold stare as the Neko calculated the information. The intensity of Yusei's stare made Yuugi uncomfortable and he had to look away,

"Not alone. I'm coming with you."

Yuugi bit back a sigh of relief, "But I thought that the Royal Champion never left the castle?"

Yusei stepped closer to Yuugi and pulled the teen's hood over his head, "Yami would never forgive either of us if you went alone. Come," he began to walk towards the door, leaving a stunned Yuugi behind.

On the one hand, Yuui was grateful that Yusei would go into town with him, that way he would feel safe, but in the other, he was afraid to be around the Neko. After what happened yesterday, the Royal Champion had been keeping a closer eye on him, always watching, waiting for him to explain just what had been going on. While the thought of Yusei caring for him made Yuugi smile, he also didn't want the other to worry. They both knew that he wasn't feeling too well and that was all that it was. He was just tired.

When Yusei looked back at him, Yuugi shook he head and began to walk forward. Amethyst eyes stayed trained in front of him, not looking at any of the other Lelanian in the room, nor his friend that held the door open for him. Yuugi pulled his hood further over his head when he stepped out of the castle and a fresh breeze brushed against his skin. Lelania had always been a cold world, but it was comfortingly so. It normally made him want to cuddle with a loved one while the wind blew around them, but now it caused a harsh shiver to race up his spine.

The door clicked shut, and Yuugi forced a smile to mask the shivers that threatened to show, "You ready to go?" Yusei nodded, so Yuugi looked ahead, "Then let's go," Yuugi said as he nearly stumbled down the steps. He tried to cover the shaking in his legs but it was hard between the bone-chilling wind that brushed against him and the grogginess of his joints.

He managed to get to the bottom without falling but Yuugi knew that it didn't hold any of the grace of a healthy person. His descent had felt like a newborn deer walking on its own for the first time, and Yuugi could only hope that he didn't walk like that through town.

With Yusei by his side, the two began to head into town. Every person they passed bowed their heads respectfully and uttered their 'good days', but Yuugi could see the resentment that lingered in some of their eyes. There were still those who were displeased at his presence and he saw them out of the corner of his eye. They would watch him as he passed by, their mouths would open before clicking shut and turning away. Yuugi ignored them and passed a smile to the next person he passed.

When they reached the Goddess Circle, Yuugi stopped. He took in the busy Lelanians who bustled around the blue water, the dark buildings that extended out like veins from a heart, and the floating lights that swayed in the sky. It was a place that truly held the feeling of the eye of the storm or the dagger under the cloak: there was a power that pulsed in the air. It was tranquil and all-encompassing, and Yuugi remembered it well from the first time he came here.

When he and Yami were put on trial, Mira's power coursed through the pool of water and extended through the small rivers. It reached to every inch of the kingdom and collected in the center of it all. Her peace, her power, her love, shrouded all who stepped foot in this area reminding everyone just who this town belonged to and the values it held. The only other feeling Yuugi could equate it to was walking into the Vatican in Italy or Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It was a presence that took your breath away…

… but it was gone.

As Yuugi stood there, he couldn't feel the soft caress of Mira or hear the gentle buzz of power. He couldn't even see the magic int he water. The water glowed but it wasn't vibrant. The air was alive but still. The heart pulsed but no emotions ran through it.

The people of Lelania moved around as if nothing had ever changed, so Yuugi thought he might be imagining the feeling. He pinched his arm and shook his head, but the feeling gripped him and coiled under his skin. Something was gone, something was missing, and he didn't know what.

The feeling of something under his skin began to grow. There was something slithering -something grimy, something dirty- beneath his skin, just below the surface. He could feel it as it brushed against his veins and minged through his muscles. It moved as though his body was hollow, yet he could feel it pass over every tendon, every vein, every tissue as it traveled.

Yuugi tried to scratch at his skin, but his jacket prevented him from succeeding. No matter how much he rubbed and scratched, the fabric added a soft layer that dulled the effects of his effort and did nothing to rid himself of the feeling. Tired of being thwarted, Yuugi shoved his hand under his sleeve and attacked his skin.

His skin began to tingle as the grim pulsed. It was tainting heart, corrupting his blood and pumping through his veins. It felt gross and invading like mud in water. Each vein was being bogged down by the thick liquid and he could feel the blood pulse with effort in order to properly circulate. His blood felt thick and grated like sandpaper on his soft organs.

His fingers, his arms, his chest, his legs, his feet, his toes, his neck, his head, his eyes, they all pulsed as his heart thumped painfully. His blood was dirty. It needed to be cleaned. Yuugi continued to scratch at his skin until it felt raw. Each scratch felt like razors over sensitive skin and it threatened to break and bleed if he didn't stop. But Yuugi didn't stop. He needed to clean his blood, he needed this feeling _gone_.

"Yuugi."

Gone.

"Yuugi?"

Gone.

"Yuugi!"

 _Gone!_

"Yuugi, that's enough."

Said teen yelped as his hand was grabbed and ripped away from his arm. When he blinked he noticed that a small crowd had formed around him and everyone wore a face mask of concern. They were curious. They were uncertain. They were happy?

Taking a deep breath, Yuugi looked at Yusei who still had a tight grip on his wrist. The arm that he was scratching stung as the raw skin grated against his jacket. Sometimes it would stick and smudge the red beads of blood that pricked out of areas where his nails dug too deep. Even though the pain was begging for his attention, Yuugi bit back a whimper and kept his face calm.

He gave Yusei a shaky smile, "I'm sorry. L-let's just keep going."

The Neko narrowed his eyes briefly before he released Yuugi's wrist and stood tall. He gave the younger a once over before turning and beginning to walk away. Yuugi let out a sigh of relief, but his muscles were still tense. There had been disbelief lingering below Yusei's blue eyes and concern was laced in his face. It was hard to see, but Yuugi noticed it for the split second it decided to show.

Shaking his head, Yuugi began to follow after Yusei, and he made sure to stay close so as to not worry the other. His arm still burned and he cradled it close to his chest. It was just a scratch, he had had plenty on Earth before: some had even bled just like this one. It was nothing to worry about: it was just a scratch.

Doubt simmered in Yuugi's mind as he tried to brush off the injury. Sure it was a simple scratch, but the _feeling_ that caused it didn't feel quite right. It felt unnatural; although, he did suppose it was just him being sick. After all, illness had never been something that he was too fond of.

Where Jonouchi and Anzu would revel in the free time from school or the ability to sleep all the time, Yuugi had never wanted to be incapable. With his mother being too busy to open the shop and him needing to be at school, Yuugi couldn't afford to be sick. He needed every second in order to go to school and keep the family business going or else they would fall behind.

Yuugi barely registered when they had reached the temple; in fact, had Yusei not physically stopped him, Yuugi would have walked right past it. It stood just as he remembered, on the corner of the road with a proud staircase and elegant walls. Every window was stained glass inlaid the black stone while blue lights floated around, illuminating every detail. Yuugi felt like he was standing in front of a gothic cathedral, yet it felt hollow. The temple didn't feel as alive as he once remembered it; in fact, he feared that when he stepped inside, an empty building would be all that would great him.

Yuugi swayed as he stared up at the towering temple. It loomed over him and seemed to stretch up into the sky, blocking out the blue lights from above. Shaking his head, Yuugi forced his eyes to the ground and steadied his body. Only when he was sure that he wouldn't stumble did he trust his feet to carry him up the stairs.

The door leading inside was large and rounded with silver designs like vines sprouting from the bottom. The knobs where large aquamarine jewels that shimmered in the ever-moving lights around the town. Potted in black pots on either side of the door was glorean that was tall proud and healthy. Its sweet scent created a wall around the door and caused Yuugi to stop.

It was an intoxicating scent that filled his lungs and threatened to coat them until he couldn't breathe. The plants were tall, healthy, and capable of swallowing him whole in their essence until he couldn't hold on. His scratches began to sting so he gripped them harder until his skin turn white. Beside him, Yusei, too, seemed to have a hesitance towards the glorean and the thought eased Yugi's mind a little. If Yusei was okay with the plant, then he should be fine too.

Tossing a glance over his shoulder to Yuugi, Yusei stepped up to the door and clanked the silver doorknock against the wood. It wasn't long until a familiar face peered from around the door, "Good morning my Royal Champion and Young Lover," the young boy greeted with a bow of his head.

Yuugi knew he had seen the boy somewhere before, but his mind eluded him as to where from. He had pale skin, light green eyes, and there was a small tuft of black bangs that peeked out from under the boy's scarf. The scarf, the same that Yami wore that was the signature clothing for a priest of Mira, was folded over his head and around his shoulders, but it was loose with inexperience. As for the rest of the clothing, it was similar to all the other priests and priestesses he had seen before: a long robe of black that dragged on the ground, a simple blue sash tied loosely at the waist with only a handful of amulets hanging around his neck and waist. There was nothing in particular that made him stand out, and yet Yuugi couldn't shake the feeling.

The boy smiled warmly, "Please, come in. Clairece is waiting for you."

The boy bowed as Yuugi and Yusei passed him as they entered. They waited in the lobby as the boy closed the door. With another smile, the young priest began to lead the two of them further into the temple. Out of his peripheral, Yuugi could tell that the interior was grand with many intricate designs and etchings that were illuminated by blue lights. He could even smell the sweet perfume of glorean and see its soft glow mingle with the shadows as he passed through; however, his attention was plastered to the back of the priest's head.

Yuugi figured that his stare was becoming bothersome as the boy looked over his shoulder, "Is there something the matter, Young Lover?"

Yuugi frowned, "You look familiar, but I can't remember where."

The young priest let out a warm laugh, "My, my Young Lover. It's only been two weeks since my initiation. Was it that unappealing?"

Yuugi's eyes flashed as his mouth opened, "You're the priest that I initiated at the festival!"

"Correct, Young Lover. My name is Teryn. It's a pleasure to serve you."

They heard the footsteps echo towards the three of them before they saw a priestess with light blue eyes around the corner. The second she laid eyes on the group, a sigh escaped her lips and a smile graced her face. Yuugi recognized her as the priestess who judged him and Yami when they first came to Lelania.

"Young Lover, there you are. I was beginning to worry."

Teryn bowed as they stopped in front of the priestess, "They just arrived, Clairece."

She rose a hand to Teryn with a soft smile, "Thank you, Teryn. I shall handle it from here," the youth nodded before walking away. Once he was gone she extended a hand towards a room, "Please, join me in my study and we can talk about the ball plans."

"Thank you, Cairece," Yuugi gave a small bow as he passed the priestess and entered the room. It was modest with three tall stained glass windows surrounding the ebony desk. There were runes, amulets, and scriptures cluttering the desktop as well as the bookshelves that lined the rest of the walls. Between the desk and the door was a velvet couch and a glass table. In the center of the table was a young glorean sapling that emitted a dim glow.

Yuugi swallowed as his lung began to reject the sweet undertone that lingered in the temple walls. It coated his throat like a cough drop and left a bitter taste on his tongue. His head pulsed softly as a haze threatened to overtake his thoughts.

"Is everything alright?" the priestess asked as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Yuugi swallowed and loosed his grip that threatened to rip the scroll and his arm in half, "I'm fine. It's just the glorean."

Her hand flinched away as if he burned her, "My apologies. Then we shall keep this short and next time, I will make sure to come to the castle."

"If I may, head priestess, I can get some tea to help dull the glorean for him."

Yuugi froze as something int he back of his mind snapped. His body was frigid, his mind was halted, and fear crept up his spine like a cold chill. Deathly hands gripped his lungs as his breath was short and shallow while his heart rate thundered in his ears. The scratches on his arm burned like a raging fire.

Ever so slowly, Yuugi turned to look at the door where a new female voice chimed in like a shadow on the floor. Petrified amethyst met with malicious pale blue.

"Ah, Abur, what a fantastic idea. Please get some quickly," Clairece sent the other off with a wave of her hand.

Abur nodded her head, but her eyes were glued to Yuugi's, glaring daggers beneath a mask of indifference. She was dressed the same as Teryn and Clairece, but her face was burned into his nightmares for all eternity. Even though she didn't wear her jaguar cloak he remembered her face. When she closed the door, Yuugi couldn't help but feel like she was closing the door to his freedom.

"While we wait for her to come back, why don't you have a seat," Clairece instructed as she sat down at her desk.

Yuugi didn't move. His feet felt like lead and yet his gut was telling him to run. His stomach churned as his flight instinct kicked in, yet his body was too gripped by fear to move. He yelped and jumped away as a hand was placed on his shoulder.

Yusei narrowed his eyes at him as concerned flashed in his ocean depths. Clairece stood from her chair.

"Young Lover, if this is too much then we can-"

"No!" Yuugi gasped as he shot her a frantic look. He gulped in breaths as he shook his head, "No, please. I'll be fine," the two of them gave him disbelieving looks which only irked him more. Determined to continue the meeting, Yuugi shook his head to clear his thoughts and began to walk around the ouch to sit down; however, just as he sat down, a harsh meow screeched beside him and he jumped up in terror. The black cat grinned at him with white fangs protruding over his bottom lip. Its black tail swished over the velvet, causing it to ripple. Yuugi let out another yelp as it jumped off of the couch towards him.

Two hands gripped Yuugi's shoulders, holding him in place, "My priestess, if you would allow us a minute."

"Of course. Please, let me know if there is anything that I can do."

Yuugi was led out of the study and into the hall where he was held up against the cool wall. Yuugi's boy shivered at the contact and ached to get as far away from it as possible. Amethyst eyes darted to the ceiling, the floor, and down the two other halls as he swore that he was the cat lingering in every shadow at once. A rough hand gripped his chin and forced his eyes to focus on Yusei.

"Yuugi," said teen shook his head but was stopped as Yusei tightened his grip, " _Tell me what's wrong_."

Yuugi wanted to shake his head and get rid of Yusei's voice that echoed in his ears, "Nothing, I'm fine."

" _No, you're not."_

"Yusei, I'm fine!"

" _Yuugi-"_

" _I said I'm fine!"_

Yuugi's breath came out in ragged gasps as he glared up at his friend. Yusei remained firm in his stance as he kept a steady stare on Yuugi. Then he felt something move around in his mind. It wasn't painful, but it shifted through his thoughts, searching, moving, and twisting until he couldn't focus anymore.

Pictures of Abur flashed in his mind and mingled with scenes from his and Yami's capture. Jaguar fur and a flaming pit of water mixed with Mira's name and promises of purification whispered and scream in his ears. They blended together until Yuugi almost couldn't tell them apart. Then memories of the cat mixed with Abur until he was all he could think about. Walking with the cat in the castle, seeing hundreds of it at the cliff, waking up to it on his lap, getting scratched by it, seeing it morph the table at breakfast, then when he was helping Kalo and his family, then to it sitting on the couch. He heard Anzu's scream in his ear, the dripping from his room, and he could feel the grime filter in his blood once again. His fingers twitched with the urge to scratch at his arms. He was hot, cold,exhausted, energized, calm, and terrified all at the same time.

By the time Yusei released him and retracted his magic, Yuugi couldn't stand anymore and slid to the floor.

"By Mira, Yuugi. Why haven't you told anyone?"

Yuugi tipped his head back to glare at Yusei, "Would you have believed me?"

"We need to get you back to the castle."

"And do what? Yusei, I know they look bad, but I'm fine. This is nothing."

"Hallucinating isn't nothing."

Yuugi let out a tired bark of laughter, "Hallucinating, huh? They sure don't feel like it. If that's true, then it's just from the illness."

Yusei crossed his arms, "All the more reason for you to go back to the castle and rest."

Yuugi used the wall to help him stand as he leveled Yusei with a frustrated glare, "I'm not going to sit around and let Yami do all the work. I want to help-"

"And what help will you be if you get so sick that you can't recover?"

Yuugi faltered at the question and ducked his head to look at the ground. Tears burned Yuugi's eyes as he stubbornly refused to look at Yusei, "I just want to help…"

He heard Yusei shuffle before the Neko sighed, "After this meeting with the priests, you will not leave the castle and you will rest, understood?"

Yuugi nodded and bit his lip, "Let's just… keep this a secret, okay? Yami already has a lot on his plate, I don't want him to worry about me."

"Younger Lover, I expected you to be in the meeting with Clairece by now."

Yuugi tensed as Abur's deathly voice racked across his skin like nails. His bones chilled as bumps raced over his flesh. He was too terrified to even look at her.

"W-we," his voice was clogged in his throat and barely reached a whisper, "I, we-"

"We needed to speak. Please go in ahead of us," Yusei order with a curt nod of his head.

Abur gave him a cold look that was masked by a friendly smile. Like an assassin who poisoned her quarry, she smirked and slipped into the room leaving a bittersweet aura in her wake. Only when she was gone was Yuugi able to breathe once more.

" _She's the one?"_

Yuugi nodded and swallowed despite his dry mouth, "Y-yeah, that's her."

" _We can't deal with her now."_

"I know," taking a calming breath, Yuugi gave Yusei a half-smile, "Just stay close."

With a nod of reassurance, the two of them walked back into the room. Abur and Clairiece were in a whispered conversation while each held a glass cup of tea. On the coffee table were two other glasses on a silver tray with a small bowl of fruit fish in the center. Yuugi sat down on the couch with a heavy thud and Yusei joined him, but his eyes were trained on Abur who was leaning against the desk.

Clairece nodded to Abur before she faced Yuugi, "Is everything alright, Young Lover?"

Yuugi kept a watchful eye on Abur, "Yes, it's fine," his voice was quiet to the point that Clairece needed to lean forward in order to hear it, "Let's continue with the meeting."

With shaky hands, Yuugi passed the scroll over to the head priestess. When she took it, he flinched back to the couch, warry of Abur who was watching him with eyes like a hawk. Yuugi couldn't shake the cold feeling crawling up his spine the longer her icy stare was on him. Every now and then, he would brave a glance at her, but the memories that flashed in his head upon meeting her eyes forced his eyes back to the ground.

Clairece took a sip of the tea and hummed as she read over the scroll, "So Mira's blessing shall be held off until the end?" Yuugi nodded his head, "It seems like a rather odd place to have it," her light eyes questioned Yuugi over the paper, "Who decided this?"

Yuugi tried to squeak out an answer, but Yusei beat him to it, "The council."

Clairece sat back in the chair as she considered the Neko, "Strange. Typically Mira's blessing is the opening of the ball so that the night can be embraced by our goddess. After all, the crown of Lelania began with Mira, it is only befitting to keep this tradition. Why the sudden change?"

"The council believed that it would be more beneficial to hold off Mira's blessing until the gifts in order bring good fortune upon the offerings," Yusei explained.

Abur purred as she sipped her tea, "In other words, they thought that Mira was not important enough to open the night. Instead of reminding all who this ball is blessed by, they would wait to belittle out goddess's love to mere material possessions."

Clairece rose her hand to the other priestess, "Nothing anyone can do would ever numb Mira's love for this land," her eyes flitted over to Yusei and Yuugi, "however, it is quite unprecedented and I must ask that we change Mira's blessing. It has always opened the ball and this tradition will still be upheld."

Yuugi sat up and tried desperately to ignore the holes that were being burned into his soul, "I apologize, but we can't move the blessing to the beginning o the ball."

Abur stood tall as she looked down her nose to Yuugi, "You would dare disrespect our goddess by refusing her rightful place?" disgust flared in her blue eyes as she narrowed her gaze on Yuugi.

The teen shook his head, but he refused to face her, "N-no, if it could be changed to the start, there would be nothing more that I would love, but it can't. The Counselor Lazulin made it clear that the council already decided the start of the ball, and it can't be changed."

Clairece folder her hands as she leaned forward on the desk, "And why is that?"

Yuugi shook his head, more at ease focusing on the elder of the two, "He just said that it would cause too much to change, and with everything being on such short notice…"

"This is preposterous," Abur muttered as she strode in front of the desk towards the other side of the study. As she passed, the strong with of glorean perfume rushed up on Yuugi and caused him to choke on his breath. He tried to hide it by clearing his throat, but when the feeling continued to build, he reached for his glass cup and sipped the tea.

Abur began to pace beside Yuugi's side of the couch, "Mira should not be pushed aside at such an event as this. Her love is a gift that should be given to all and to have it belittled at an event where the other kingdoms will be: it is insulting. Mir'as love should be front and foremost at this even for without her there would be no king. Half-blooded or not, our king should know this an embrace Mira's love by having her blessing welcome the other kingdoms."

Yuugi clanked his cup back onto the table harshly as the flavor coated his tongue like a bitter coughdrop. It stung each taste bud and each dribble that passed down his throat felt like a burning drop of acid. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the table for balance. His head swam as his stomach churned and the perfume encompassed his senses.

"Priestess Abur, please calm yourself," Clairece gave the younger a pointed look, "While it is true that Mira should embrace and be embraced by all, we cannot change the council's decision on this. We must work together to find a solution. Perhaps if we can't welcome the guests, we can send them off in Mira's blessing."

Abur stopped as she faced the head priestess, "Are you suggesting that the night be ended with Mira?"

Clairece made a sound of approval, "This way Mira's blessing is not limited tot he physical possession and she is still taking a forefront at the ball. It may not be ideal, but it is better than having her showcased as a side event. Do you think that can be done, Royal Champion?"

"It should be a simple change."

Yuugi began to shake as his body burned from the inside out. The taste was no longer bitter, it was sweet and the perfume was sweet, and the glorean on the table was sweet. It all swam around him, suffocating him and his brain couldn't settle in any thoughts. Everyone's voices became numb.

He felt like he was kneeling over the murky water just like before. The room was dark with only the glorean to light them up. He was thirsty and the bittersweet aftertaste was poison to his system. He needed water, but the water that glared back at him was tainted. He coughed and blood dribbled past his lips and into the water. It bloomed into a red cloud that overtook the tank.

"Young Lover, you don't look so good," Abur kneeled beside Yuugi, her face hidden from everyone else.

Yuugi shot his head up to stare petrified at the priestess as she laid a hand on his back. Her face was void of emotion, but malice was clearing lurking in her gaze that was as cold as ice.

"If it is the glorean, please drink. It should help," her words seemed sincere, but the sinister undertone made Yuugi freeze up. His chin was grabbed lightly, yet Yuugi felt her nails dig into his soft flesh, then a cup was pressed to his lips and the liquid that slipped into his mouth was acid.

Yuugi choked as he hands lashed out, knocking the cup back and pushing the priestess away from him. Clairece called out and stood from the desk, but Yuugi couldn't hear what she was saying. He was focused on the path of fire that burned into his stomach and the sticky texture that coated his mouth. The tea was bitter and sweet and thick and poisonous. He keeled over as coughs gripped his body.

Yusei picked up his own teacup and took a sip of the liquid before he placed it immediately back on the table, "This tea is made with glorean leaves."

Clairece tested another sip of her own tea, "You're right," her head snapped to Abur who was standing off in the corner with a blank face, "Abur, this isn't the healing tea you promised."

Abur kept her eyes on Yuugi, "I must have grabbed the wrong leaves."

Yuugi gripped his throat that was becoming hoarse with the abuse it was going through. No matter how much he coughed, the sweet coating remained and the flavor soaked into his insides. It burned and tasted foul. Yuugi reached for the fruit fish and shoved a handful in his mouth. He didn't care that he didn't do the ritual first nor that they left an ashen texture, it gave him a different flavor. It was something to distract him from the poison that crept into his veins.

Abur was pushed away from Yuugi before he was picked up in Yusei's arms. The teen covered his mouth as he took in a ragged breath only to start up a new wave of coughs.

"The king will know of this," Yuugi heard Yusei warn Abur.

The priestess walked forward with the ease of someone who wasn't being threatened. Her face was blank until she was only a step away from them. Then a smirk cracked her face, "Just try."

Yusei only narrowed his eyes at her before he turned towards Clairece and gave her a curt nod. The elder priestess was watching the scene with calculating eyes that remained calm despite the growing unease int he room. Her gaze lingered on Abur longer than they should have until she stood up from her desk and walked over. Abur didn't stop her when Clairece laid a hand on her shoulder and urged her to step away from the Royal Champion and Young Lover. Once there was more space between them, Clairece returned Yusei's nod and the Neko left.

The minute he stepped into the hallway, Yusei began to walk faster until it was borderline a sprint. Yuugi opened his eyes when he felt Abur's presence lift off of him.

"A-are we going back to Yami?" Yuugi croaked out.

Yusei shook his head, "The castle is too far. Too many people will notice."

Yuugi wanted to ask where they were going then, but his throat protested any more noise. As soon as they exited the temple, the fresh air filled his lungs and helped to expel the toxins that filled inside of him. The wind was refreshing as it brushed against his face, almost cleansing him from the glorean that clung to him like smoke. His head began to clean, but his stomach was still in turmoil as the glorean tea settled into his system.

There were concerned gasps from the Lelaninas who noticed them, but Yusei didn't bother to stop. Their concern was a simple noise in the wind as Yusei navigated the narrow streets and past the people. Yuugi wondered what would come of the situation. Would they begin to question what happened? Maybe they couldn't care? What if they started rumors? How would it reflect on him? On Yami? Would he find out before he and Yusei had a chance to explain?

They entered a small building and a wave of recognition washed over Yuugi. The wall of mirrors, the racks of clothes, the old register…

… And there was Mana, looking dumbstruck as she paused in her organization of the clothing to stare at the two intruders. Her eyes flickered to Yuugi before settling on Yusei. Without a word, she dropped the hanger and hurried over to the purple curtain behind the counter. She held it open as Yusei walked by before following the pair up the stairs.

"What happened?" Mana asked as Yusei set Yuugi down on the couch in the main living space.

"Poisoning," Yusei answered as he dug in his cloak, searching for something.

Mana looked taken aback as she stared at the Neko in disbelief, "Who would do that?"

"Priestess Abur. Apparently, she's the same one who captured Yuugi and Yami," Yusei straightened empty handed and looked towards Mana.

She seemed to understand and pointed Yusei off towards another door across the room. He walked off wordlessly, leaving Mana and Yuugi alone. She sighed as she kneeled beside Yuugi, "I never trusted that woman," her sparkling brown eyes looked Yuugi in the eye as she passed him an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry that you got mixed up in all of this."

Yuugi shook his head and swallowed a thick gulp of saliva that left his mouth dry, "It's alright. I-I know it's u-unexpected."

Tears seemed to shimmer in her eyes as she used a hand to pet Yuugi's hair, "It's just that it shouldn't happen and I… I can't lose you too."

Yugi was about to question what she meant when movement caught his attention. At first, he thought it was just Yusei coming back from wherever he went, but he noticed that it was too small, too dark, too _fast_ to have been Yusei. It darted around from shadow to shadow, almost invisible to the eye. It would linger in one pool before jumping to the next as though it were hiding from someone, or sneaking up on its unsuspecting prey.

Pinpricks of red stared back at him from one of the shadows, sending a bone-chilling shiver down his spine. His heart beat faster at the predatory glint in those eyes. They were small, beady, and hungry as it sulked in the shadows. His heart beat faster the longer he watched them. tHen he noticed just what the were looking at Mana.

Her back was turned tot he entity as it watched her with a violent glint that sparked boldly against the shadowed background. It slithered, paced, lingered for a moment as it contemplated the unwitting prey. Then it lunged.

Yuugi shrieked as he pushed Mana out of the way, falling off the couch in the process. His head banged harshly on the plush carpet and he felt something slither across his skin for a second before it was gone. When Yuugi blinked open his eyes, he froze when the shadow rested on the ceiling above him, glaring at him with infuriated re eyes. The shadow body blended in with the dark ceiling, making it look more imposing than it actually was, yet it shook Yuugi to the core as he watched it.

The shadows began to swirl above him, centering in of the eyes as if they were the center of a wicked whirlpool. They collected and undulated around the eyes before the entity scampered across the ceiling like a spider. Yuugi rushed to sit up, his head protesting against the movement as his stomach flipped, but he needed to watch where it went.

It was heading towards the window and Yuugi stumbled to his feet and rushed after it. He didn't know why he was compelled to watch the entity, but deep in his core, he felt like it was going to lash out at someone and it would be his fault. If he wasn't there, then he couldn't warn them about it. He couldn't watch as it lunged for their throats of stare hungrily at their hearts. He needed to be there in order to push them out of the way. If he wasn't, then their blood was n his hands.

The glass shattered at the shadows lept through the window and Yuugi stumbled over the broken pieces as he watched it fall tot he ground. No one else reacted to the being as it crawled along the stone, its red eyes searching for its next prey. It was wandering too far down the street, and Yuugi was having a hard time watching it. He tried to lean his head out the window, even risk falling over the edge, in order to see the creature stalk the crowd for a weak prey, but his head bounced back as it hit something hard.

"Yuugi!" Mana shouted as she rushed over to Yuugi who stared dumbstruck at the in-tact window, "What is it? Did you see something?"

"I-I-I…" Yuugi continued to stare at the window. It was in one piece. There weren't any sharp edges on the floor. The being was gone from the street and the Lelanians walked on as if nothing had happened at all. His stomach flipped as he gripped his hands in his hair and lowered himself to the ground. It was just a hallucination. It wasn't real. He was just sick. It was just his imagination.

Yuugi flinched when someone grabbed his shoulder. Yusei only stared at him as he held out a small ball of the green paste that countered the glorean. Yuugi took it with shaky hands and gratefully reviled in the creamy texture that soaked the glorean out of his system like a sponge. Still, it did nothing to numb the turmoil in his mind.

Tears pricked his eyes as exhaustion settled over him and he leaned against the wall to support him. A cold feeling settled in his stomach as longing widdled its way into his core. He anted Yami because he knew that Yami was real. He knew that Yami was right. He knew that if he was with Yami, then everything would be okay. Everything made sense around Yami and he longed to have that stability right then and there.

(Koobre: So, I'm not too happy with how this one turned out, but I don't know what to do. I can't tell how this story is going, so I need you all to tell me if it's moving too fast, does it seem off? You know, stuff like that, because that last thing that I want is for this story to fall apart. Thank you!)


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch 5 People Who Live In Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones**

The melodic sound of violins and flutes carried over the crowd as they mingled and danced to their soft sound. Other instruments sat waiting for their turn in the song while the room swayed and spun in jovial delight. The chandelier of floating blue lights shifted and danced above the lively ball room as if guiding the flow of energy.

Yuugi stood off in the corner of the room watching the Lelanians as they laughed amongst themselves. He smiled when he spotted Kalo and his siblings over by the food table and practically eating an entire platter of chocolate covered fruit all by themselves. Kora ran off only to return with a grey napkin for every sibling. She scolded Kalo as he wiped his chocolatey fingers on the blue table clothe before shoving the napkin in his hands.

A young maiden with red hair and white eyes stepped in front of Yuugi, cutting off his view from his friends. They gave each other a smile before she grabbed his hands and led him on to the dance floor. He allowed himself to be led and only smiled as she put a hand on his shoulder. He responded by placing a hand on her waist and began to sway to the soft music.

They didn't speak, but Yuugi was skimming the crowd. He could see Yami through the haze of faces. The King was dancing with another person, but Yuugi couldn't see who it was as Yami's body blocked the view. The other person stood a little taller than Yami, but only by an inch or two. The only thing Yuugi could see was the scarf that the person wore around their head: it was a scarf of Mira.

Yuugi craned his neck in order to look around Yami. Something made his heart beat fast in his chest and the noise around him numbed into silence. His breath hitched in his throat as Yami finally moved and Yuugi could investigate the other person. Preist clothes. Tanned skin. Red eyes.

Yuugi blinked as the other man who looked so much like Yami flickered his gaze over to Yuugi before he whisked Yami away into the crowd. Yuugi began to panic.

He wanted to watch the pair of them, but they were slipping out of sight and he tried to release his own dance partner, but she held fast to his hand. Turning to face her, the girl only shook her head with a wicked grin. Yuugi opened his mouth to speak, but his voice was weak and tight. It lodged in his throat and he could barely make more than a squeak of protest.

She pulled him closer, a dark leer in her eyes, and Yuugi began to shake. Around him, the pedestrians began to lose shape until they were merely shadows that swarmed around him. Around and around in a circle, they went like a vortex that was dragging him down. The girl's nails dug into his skin like claws as she plunged him into the dark waters at his feet.

The intoxicating flavor of glorean burned his mouth as water poured past his lips and nose. He couldn't breathe. His blood boiled as the glorean slipped into his system and the urge to vomit came over him. His stomach flipped and twisted and his muscles twitched in protest.

The girl pulled him closer before flashing him a wide-toothed grin, showing off her sharp teeth, "There you are."

"I've been searching for you for the past hour."

"Young Lover."

"Come, quickly, you need to get dressed for the ball."

Yuugi gasped as his eyes shot open. With his heart pounding in his chest and air rushing to fill his abused lungs, Yuugi frantically took in the area around him. He was in the ballroom. It was empty save for the council, a few priests, and the maids that worked to set up the tables and decorations. Yami stood by the throne talking in a heated discussion to Clairece and Rumonbothe. Safia stood in front of Yuugi with a flustered expression.

Yuugi blinked and struggled to find his voice, "W-what?"

Safia threw up her hands, "The ball, Young Lover. You must get dressed for the ball. You can't let the guests see you like that."

Yuugi faltered and nearly fell forwards as the wind was knocked out of him. Needing something to stabilize himself, Yuugi gripped onto the banquet table he stood next to. It was clear of food and was only decorated by the black tablecloth with blue and silver embroidery he had picked out. On each of the far ends was a pile of white porcelain plates with a black and blue bird painted on the center. Then beside those where piles of the silverware that he and Kalo's family wrapped in the red napkins and beaded sting he had picked out.

Yuugi's knuckles turned white as he buried his nails in the black tablecloth. His head swam as a wave of heat rushed over him. He felt hot and clammy. Each noise that sounded in the room reverberated and bounced in his ears like a harsh clap of thunder. His legs wobbled and he felt his strength leave him. Had he not been using the table for support, he would have been a pile on the floor.

Beside him, Safia paced, "Young Lover? Really we must be getting you ready for the ball."

Her words fell on deaf ears as Yuugi struggled to catch his breath. He clenched and unclenched the tablecloth as a sense of loneliness gripped his core. He couldn't hear the bustling maids or the chatting councilmembers. He couldn't hear the shouts from the kitchen or the orders from the priests. He felt alone in a churning ocean of black.

He could hear something walk towards him. It was soft but shook the ground with each step. It was the only noise he could hear past his own heartbeat that thundered in his ears. Amethyst eyes squeezed shut as another wave of heat splashed over him and his stomach churned. The acidic taste of bile glossed his tongue as he swallowed the urge to spill his lunch.

"Die."

Yuugi's eyes snapped open just in time to see a black ball of fur lunge at him. He screamed as he fell backward in an attempt to dodge the attack. He could hear sharp death click shut, just missing the soft flesh of his neck, before four paws pinned him to the cool ground. Yuugi swore his skin sizzled as it slammed against the frozen marble.

"Yuugi!"

Frantic hands pulled Yuugi off of the floor and to his feet. Yuugi swayed as he tried to stand, but the furious hiss behind him made him jump and fall forward. Strong arms caught him, but Yuugi fought against their hold as he watched the black cat stalk closer to him.

"Let me go!" Yuugi yelled as he finally broke out of the embrace. He dodged the cat as it jumped at him only to run into the table. He yelped as he tried to use the object to steady him.

"Yuugi, stop!"

Taking in a shaky breath, Yuugi did as the voice commanded and froze. He didn't protest when hands gripped his face and forced him to look up. The person's face was fuzzy and covered in shadows, but the more Yuugi blinked the more it came into focus. Frowning lips, pale skin, elegant ma'an, concerned red eyes.

Relief flooded Yuugi as the loneliness began to disappear, "Yami!" he jumped forward and wrapped his arms around Yami's neck. The elder hesitated for a second before returning the embrace and wrapping his arms securely around Yuugi's waist. Yuugi could've cried.

"What's the meaning of this?" Rumonbothe's cold voice snapped the comforting air that befell Yuugi.

"My King, do you have an explanation?" Odette asked.

Clairece hummed, "He was acting similarly in my office yesterday. Perhaps he's just not feeling well."

Yami released Yuugi to look him in the eye, "What happened?"

Yuugi shook his head. Crimson eyes turned to Safia who stood off to the side with a worried expression.

"I'm sorry my King. I had just come over to get him ready for the ball when he started acting this way," Safia explained with a shake of her head.

Yami turned to look back at Yuugi and the teen could see the mix of emotions that churned in the other's ruby depths. Despite his face being masked with indifference, thoughts ran through Yami's mind and emotions flickered through his gaze. Yuugi bit his lip as he watched Yami. He hadn't meant to stress him out even more. What with the ball and other kingdoms coming, the council, priests, and maids have been running his lover up a wall trying to get ready. Yuugi could see that Yami was holding everything inside: the last thing Yuugi wanted was to add to Yami's troubles.

Yuugi shook his head, "Yami, I'm-"

"Don't," Yami snapped. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When Yami opened them again, there was anger burning in his gaze, "Don't you dare tell me that you're fine."

Yuugi narrowed his eyes and was about to comment when Safia spoke up, "Do you think he will be ready for the ball tonight?"

Yami's eyes never left Yuugi's, "No. He will not be attending."

Yuugi's jaw dropped, "What?!"

A round of gasps and similar exclamations escaped the councilmembers and priests that stood around them. Hushed whispers and concerns were passed between each other as they evaluated the situation. Yuugi pay them any mind. His wide eyes and open mouth were focused on Yami who had a tight jaw and hard eyes.

A bitter feeling nipped at Yuugi and shock turned to anger, "Are you kidding, Yami?"

Crimson eyes narrowed, "You're sick and have been for the past few days. You haven't been getting better, you've been getting worse. The last thing I need is for you to make a mess of the ball."

Yuugi flinched back. Amethyst eyes darkened as he sneered at Yami through narrowed eyes, "What? You don't want me to embarrass you?"

"Neither one of us knows what wrong with you, so we can't risk it."

Yuugi let out a bitter laugh, "What's wrong with me? I thought I was just sick. Now it's something more."

"With how you've been acting it wouldn't surprise me," Yami hissed.

Yuugi faltered as his glare turned to shock. He tried to recover his anger, but the pain that stung his heart could no longer put the feeling behind it. The feeling squirmed and withered the longer those crimson eyes glared and burned his soul. The only reprieve he got was when Yusei pulled Yami back and stood in front of Yuugi.

Out of the spotlight Yami's glare put him under, Yuugi took in a shuttering breath and inched closer to Yusei. He could feel Yami's agitation pulse around the group and it shook his core. Yuugi could feel his muscles strain to keep him standing, but fear kept him frozen in place.

Rumonbothe broke the thick silence with a curt huff, "That is completely out of the question."

Yami's head snapped tot he elder counselor, "I gave my order. The Young Lover is not to attend the ball."

A pang of sorrow shot through Yuugi and he placed a hand on Yusei back to keep him steady. Ducking his head, Yuugi kept his eyes on the floor, afraid to look up.

"Order or not, it is completely unprecedented," Dovai added, "There has always been a Queen or Young Lover at the King's ball."

"None of them had been sick," Yami spat out the last word with venom.

Clairece stepped forward, "On the contrary, my King. Three rulers ago, when Queen Mimi was on the throne, her Young Lover had been recovering from a stomach virus at the time. Despite the Queen wishes, the Young Lover attended the ball in order to keep up with the tradition."

Syracuse hummed in thought, "It could be a bad move not to show the other kingdoms who would be ruling by your side, my King."

"It would also be a mockery to our Goddess Mira if your Young Lover was not at the ball. To hide away her great gift of love, it would be disgraceful," Teryn added.

Yami growled and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a few seconds, his crimson eyes snapped open and scanned over the small crowd. When they landed on Yusei, he stopped, "What do you think?"

The Neko said nothing and instead pushed Yuugi out from behind him. Feeling everyone staring at him, Yuugi took a deep breath and rose his head. Confidence rung in his amethyst eyes, but Yuugi could feel the exhaustion that tried to grip his mind. His legs were shaking with effort, but Yuugi tried his best to mask it.

When he locked eyes with Yami, he almost backed down from their intensity. Yuugi gulped, "I want to go, my King."

Yami took a step back as something flashed through his eyes. With a stiff nod, Yami spoke, "Fine. You may attend," his red eyes found Safia who stepped forward and gave a nod of understanding. Without another word, Yami stepped away and returned to the thrones with the council and priests in tow.

All that remained was Yusei, Safia, and Yuugi who watched the group retreating. Yuugi swayed in his spot as a dizzy spell spun his head. His limbs felt like lead, his eyelids dropped, and his mind searched for an anchor to latch onto. There were hands on his arms that led him out of the area and into the hall.

Yuugi blinked as he took in the scuttling maids that hurried to clean and decorate the halls. There were many decorations that merged together in a blur of rainbow colors. Yuui gave up trying to focus on them. Every few steps, his feet would stumble, but another set of hands would catch him and set him upright.

Their pace was slow and languid, yet Yuugi swore they were teleporting. One second they were by the entrance and the next they were on the bridge that oversaw the city. Yuugi tossed a glance at the town below and smiled at the blue lights the floated above it. He forced his eyes open in order to watch it longer; however, on the outskirts of town, Yuugi could see shadows creeping in. They raced in large waves towards the tall buildings and blue streams. Just as the town was pulled out of sight, the inky waves engulfed the town and drowned out all the lights.

Yuugi's head felt heavy and it nodded forward. When he yanked his head up again, they were in Yami's room where Safia was bustling around. Yuugi sat down on the couch and found his body relaxing into its velvet comfort. With little hesitation, Yuugi let his amethyst eye slip closed.

Sleep came easily to him as exhaustion gripped hold of him; however, the images that passed behind his closed eyes were nothing akin to dreamy. Dark shadows crawled over an open ocean, living floating bodies in its wake, just like an oil spill. Its black tendrils stretched out across the horizon, desperate to grip, drown, and swallow any prey it could find. He was floating just above the surface, and the waves lapped at the air, trying to grab him. When they were unsuccessful, the waves crashed and growled in anger before tossing the bodies already ensnared in the dark. The corpses floated past him with blank eyes. Blood leaked from their lips, nose, and eyes in a petrified gaze that balked at the cloudy sky above them.

Anzu…

Jonouchi…

Kalo….

Kalypto….

Mana….

Yusei….

The King….

His mother….

Yami….

Yuugi jolted upright as his mind ejected him out of the nightmare. A tired hand rubbed his pale face as he let out a heavy sigh. Once more, his sleep was plagued with visions and nightmares that gripped his soul and chilled his bones. The images haunted him every time he blinked: they lingered in every shadow. Entities hunting, waiting for unwitting prey, blood spilled from the hearts of his loved ones, the encompassing loneliness that stabbed his core and rendered him useless.

Last night had been the worst of his nightmares. Every time he closed his eyes, a new image would force its way into his dream and corrupt it until it was a horrific nightmare. Time and time again, he would wake up in a cold sweat with his sheets in a knot. He could never breathe as he awoke from the nightmare and every shadow seemed alive in the room. Yuugi would try to calm down, but the second he attempted to sleep, the terrors would steal it from him and wake him up. He had tried to stay in bed and calm down, but he couldn't stay there.

Last night, all of his shufflings had disturbed Yami and caused him to curl away from Yuugi. The image sparked pain through Yuugi when he saw Yami slid away from him in his sleep, but Yuugi couldn't watch him for too long. Anytime he looked at his lover's sleeping face now, all he could see was the empty gaze of his dead body: ashen skin, broken bones, and rivers of blood marring his skin and tainting the ma'an.

After the fifth attempt last night, Yuugi gave up on sleep and instead settled for shivering on the couch in the dark. No matter how many blankets he layered on, the bitter chill would freeze his skin and seize his blood. Yuugi had refused to move back to the bed, not only out of fear of seeing Yami's dead face again but also for the prowling entity that stalked the room in the shadows. It had been a long night waiting for Yami to finally wake up.

"My Champion, can you help him stand?"

Yuugi let the pairs of hands pull him off the couch. He leaned against the strong chest beside him and let his eyes droop low. Any time they closed, he would snap them open and shake in an effort to keep him awake. He couldn't feel his limbs, nor hear the two occupants in the room shuffle around. All his focus was settled on standing upright and fighting off the sleep that was desperate to take over.

A finger snapped in Yuugi's face, and he blinked until the appendage came into focus. He tilted his head to look up at Yusei, "I don't think so."

Safia gave out an exasperated sigh, "While neither of us can change him."

Yusei looked back to her, "He can't do it alone."

Yuugi looked to Safia who paced in thought. After a few seconds, she snapped her finger and rushed over to a pile of clothes. Leafing through them, she tossed some garments onto the couch and others she folded up and placed beside her. When she was done with the pile, she picked up the folded clothes and rushed to the door.

Before she left, she turned to Yusei and pointed tot he items on the coach, "You should be able to put those on him. Hopefully, he should still look traditional enough for the council. I will step out so that our rules can still be followed," she flashed Yusei a smile, "I'm sure you two are close enough for Mira not to be angry about this," with a skip in her step, Safia hopped out the door leaving the two males.

Yusei sat Yuugi back onto the couch before assessing the clothes she left behind. Yuugi shifted on the couch so that he was using his knees as support and rubbed his eyes.

Yuugi yawned, "What was that about?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"In Lelania, the body is sacred. It's not supposed to be seen by anyone except your lover and parents," his blue eyes glanced at Yuugi before returning to the clothes, "Since you're too weak to change yourself, we've had a change of plans."

Yuugi shook his head, "No, I can change myself," to prove his point, Yuugi tried to stand up. He succeeded in standing, but he swayed as his head swam. Black seeped into his vision before receding. He stumbled over nothing and almost fell back onto the coach. By the time his eyes came into focus and he re-stabled himself with a hand on the couch, Yusei was standing straight and settled a level stare on him. Yuugi looked away, "Or not…"

"If you want to help, then take off your jacket and untie the stray fabrics."

Yuugi nodded and began to unzip his black and white jackets. His hands shook with effort and his eyes refused to focus on something so small. Determined amethyst eyes glared at the zipper when he hands fumbled and slipped from the small piece of metal. He huffed in anger when it refused to unzip, and did nothing when Yusei began to help him.

The second the fabric slid off his skin leaving it exposed tot he harsh Lelanian air, a wave of shivers racked his body. Immediately, his hands rubbed the shivering flesh to no avail. Yusei untiled the remaining bits of fabric and belts on his outfit before removing his crown and setting them all on the couch. Yuugi felt bare in his plain black tank top and baggy black pants. Compared to the elaborate elegance of the Lelnaina culture, he felt like an outcast. A black sheep amongst the vibrant flock.

Yusei remained oblivious to his discomfort and instead focused on getting Yuugi dressed in the formal attire. Yuugi was grateful when Yusei drapped a loose cloak over his shoulders that ended at his ankles. The black fabric was heavy and lined with bear fur on the inside. There were no sleeves, but the hem was decorated with clusters of rubies, sapphires, and topazes. Next, Yusei slipped a thin, grey cloak over the first that ended at his knees and had billowing sleeves that ended at his elbows. Then Yusei pulled long, deep blue gloves that ended at Yuugi's bicep under the cloak.

A small bit of heat returned to Yuugi as each layer was added, shielding his skin from the cold air. The weight was welcomed, yet it almost felt suffocating. It pulled on his bones like chains and tried to drag him into the ground. When Yusei tied a blue sash around his waist and wrapped a black scarf around his neck, Yuugi couldn't help but be reminded of boa constrictors that crushed their prey before they ate.

With a shuddering breath, Yuugi looked down at himself, "Does it work?"

Yusei stepped back and looked to the boy over. His ears twitched and his tail flickered across the floor before he nodded his head in approval. Yuugi mustered up a smile, but it felt empty. Yusei walked back to the door and knocked on it. Safia came in a second later and skipped over to Yuugi. Her smile and bouncing energy nearly knocked Yuugi backward.

She clapped her hands together, "Perfect! Now with some new ma'an and jewelry, no one will no the difference."

Yuui was jolted forward as Safia grabbed his wrist and tugged him towards the vanity. Yuugi gave up watching the women as she worked. All her movements were a blur of color and her voice was a whirlwind of noise. Anytime she asked a question, Yuugi would nod his head and hope for the best as she slipped rings on his fingers, bracelets on his wrists, and began etching an elaborate design of ma'an on his cheeks. When she was done and Yuugi looked in the mirror, he couldn't help but think the ma'an looked like a trail of tears.

"You look gorgeous, Young Lover," Safia complimented. Now we just need to take you to the entrance and wait for the guests to arrive."

In a flash, the three of them left the room with Safia taking the lead. Yusei stayed behind with Yuugi who meandered at a slow pace. Each step was heavy against the marble and echoed in the teen's ears loudly. His tiara felt like dead weight, the cloak dragged him down, the ma'an irritated his skin, his body flashed between too hot and too cold, and his vision slipped in and out of focus. Each pot of glorean they passed caused Yuugi to tense and he held his breath until it was behind him.

Yuugi's stomach felt queasy as his lunch swirled around inside. He felt off, and it felt wrong. He couldn't pinpoint a reason why, but he had some suspicions. It could be the glorean from yesterday that had yet to leave his system or it could just be his sickness. Maybe it was just nerves for the ball that he was going to. Such a formal event, there was a lot of things that he had to keep in mind in order to leave a good impression on a lot of people. Or it could be that he was nervous about being in the same room as Priestess Abur again. He knew Yusei told them that they couldn't deal with her yet, but just knowing that she was still going unchecked was an upset in his mind.

Maybe it was thought of seeing Yami again. Sorrow pierced Yuugi's heart as he remembered what happened in the ballroom. Yami had seemed so frustrated and angry, and Yuugi was at the front of it. Yuugi tried to tell himself that it was just the stress of being king and the ball that pushed Yami towards the edge, but it was hard to convince himself when Yami's disgusted words rung in his ears.

He wanted nothing more than to apologize to his lover and make amends between them. He wanted to enjoy this night together and smile together. He wanted them to work together to bare the load of the kingdom. He didn't want to lose Yami.

Tears pricked amethyst eyes and Yuugi came to a stop. Safia looked back at him, but Yusei waved her on. Once she was out of sight, Yusei kneeled down so he could look at Yuugi's face that was looking at the ground.

"What if…" Yuugi took a shuddering breath before looking at Yusei, "What if Yami is still mad?" sadness crept in and stole his heart, "I didn't mean to make him angry. I just didn't want to be left alone while the ball went on," the deathly grip of loneliness seized his mind and he wrapped his arms around himself, "If I was locked in the room while everyone else was at the ball…"

Yusei reached up and dabbed away the tears the threated the spillover and smudge the ma'an, "He won't be."

"How are you sure?" Yuugi doubted, "He's been so frustrated with the council and priests. I've seen how he comes into the room at night. H doesn't even talk to me anymore. He's too exhausted and just falls asleep."

The Neko watched Yuugi, "Because he loves you."

Yuugi closed his eyes. He snapped them open when the ocean of dead bodies flashed in his mind, "I just want to help, but with this sickness, it feels like I can't."

"Look at me," Yusei demanded. He waited until he had Yuugi's full attention before speaking, "I have lived with Yami for eleven years. I know how he can get and have seen him when he's angry. What he did in the ballroom was not towards you, but at himself: he's just too proud to admit it. We understand that you want to help, but it would hurt us more if you didn't get better. Then we would feel responsible. Our biggest concern is you, and all we want is for you to get better so that we can all enjoy our time together. We will never shut you out."

"Yusei…" Yuugi hiccuped before he swung his arms around his friend's neck, "I'm sorry!" he cried as he clung into the Neko. The elder tensed under his touch, but the longer Yuugi held on, the more relaxed he became until the gesture was returned. As supported as Yuugi felt, the hug still felt hollow and, he buried his face in Yusei's cloak before any tears could spill from his eyes.

A loud door slam jolted the two out of their embrace. Yuugi wobbled as his support left, but caught himself by placing a hand against the wall. Yusei's black ears flickered down the hall as he stood tall and faced the noise. His stance was rigid and his cat-like eyes peered down the hall for any movement.

Using the wall, Yuugi walked past his friend and down the hall. He didn't hear the Neko's footsteps, but he knew he was walking behind him as silent as a cat. Every door they passed, they would pause and Yusei would open it. Most of them were empty, while other's held Lelanians and maids who gave them questioning looks. When asked about the door slamming, they shrugged and stated that it wasn't them. It wasn't until the seventh door that they found the source of the noise.

Quiet as a cat, Yusei turned the silver doorknob and opened the ornate ebony door to reveal the King's study. Everything was the same: same obsidian desk with blue candles, same black velvet couch with a glass end table with a small glorean, same bookshelves lined with scriptures, papers, and nick-nacks of the like. Everything was the same as the old King had left it; however, it was no longer the adult male who paced the marble floor. Now, it was his son who paced the room with white knuckles gripping his hair.

Yami let out a ragged breath and stopped at the far bookshelf far away from the desk. His head was bowed and his eyes were shadowed. In a flash, his hand reached out and snatched a book off the shelf. He discarded it with no thought, tossing it on the floor and creasing the golden pages. With a frustrated cry, he began tearing more books from their place and tossing them on the floor. When two levels of books had been discarded, he stood and braced himself against the shelf. His body shook has broken breaths struggled past his lungs. His body almost crumbled in on itself.

Yami slammed his fist on the shelf and pushed off of it, whirled around, and knocked over the glass table. The potted glorean crashed against the floor as a large crack formed in the table. With a yell, Yami stomped on the iridescent plant, but instead of removing his foot, his body folded in on itself and he wrapped his arms around himself. After a few broken sobs, Yami stood up and rushed over to the desk. He ran into it and almost fell over when it stopped his momentum. His shoulders rose with the effort it took to take deep breaths. He threw his head back and let out a grieving scream.

As the last sound died in his throat, Yami curled over the desk and lowered himself onto his elbows. His pale fingers twisted themselves in his ebony locks and his body shook with each breath, "I don't know what to do…"

Yuugi bit his lips before opening the door further, "Yami…"

Said teen shot up and glared at the intruders. Yuugi paused in front of the door, a concerned expression warping his features. They stared at one another, not saying a word. Emotions sparked in the quiet air, making it thick and the tension could be cut with a knife.

Yuugi opened his mouth to speak when a bell sounded through the castle.

"Let's go," Yami muttered as he strode past Yuugi and down the hall.

Yuugi stayed in the room and leaned against the door frame as he watched Yami's retreating form. He wrapped his arms around himself as a bitter chill blew through his body. Each step from the other echoed loudly in his ears like a drip in an empty cave. It surrounded him and gripped him in an icy hold that left him frozen and empty.

Yuugi turned watery eyes to Yusei who also watched the retreating king. Blue eyes slid to Yuugi before Yusei shook his head and began to follow after. Casting one last look into the king's study, Yuugi snapped his head away. His heart panged painfully in his chest as he pushed off the door and clicked it shut from the world.

Using the wall for support, Yuugi shambled after the two until they stopped at the entrance to the castle. Yuugi couldn't see Yami amongst the crowd that shifted to each side of the wall, creating a pathway to the ballroom. He stood still as people began to settle into place and only moved when Yusei grabbed his arm and led him outside the main doors that where being pushed open for the night. He was led to the top of the stair where Yami stood stock still and jaw set.

Yuugi glanced back at Yusei when he let go and retreated back tot he door to stand post. When the Neko nodded at him, Yuugi glanced down at his feet and locked his hands together. Everything was swirling around him and he didn't feel sturdy on his own legs. They began to shake and he fought to stay standing. His eyes stayed trained on the solid stone beneath his feet in fear that if he saw anything moving, he would fall over. He shivered as a cold Lelanian breeze ruffled his skin and chilled his blood.

"Look up. You don't want to show any disrespect."

Yuugi held his breath as he followed Yami's order and rose his head. Black crept into his vision before receding and leaving his brain fuzzy. He swayed for a moment and had to take a step back in order to stay standing. When his body settled, amethyst eyes jumped around, searching for a sturdy being to settle on. The only thing that wasn't moving and threatening to throw his balance was the person standing next to him.

Yuugi gulped as he watched the burning crimson eyes swirl with turmoil, but his face remained a mask of indifference. The other refused to look at him and the longer he watched his lover's eyes the more pan that twisted his heart. Needing to distract from it, Yuugi let his eyes wander lower in order to take in the outfit that Yami had changed into.

While it was nothing like what the old king wore, it was still regal and wore with confidence. A white button-up shirt with puffy sleeves was over-laid with a black, sleeve-less tail coat that was embroidered with red, yellow, and purple wisps. A black cape hung off his shoulders by a silver chain and the inside was lined with panther fur. Around his neck was a red scarf and tied around his waist was a red fabric belt. The excess dragged along the floor and was completely decorated with an assortment of beads and amulets. Finally, tied loosely around his arms was Atemu's old scarf.

A breath caught in Yuugi's throat as he stared at the worn scarf. Even though he didn't know Atemu or what he was like, he knew that he meant a lot to Yami, so much so that he would keep his scarf. This was an item that only the priests were allowed to ware and no one else, yet Yami's saw it as too precious that he had to keep it for himself. Even back in the cave, Yami had been devastated at the thought of losing it.

Would he be that sad if something happened to him? Would Yami keep an item of Yuugi's in order to remember him by?

"The King and Queen of Mosan with their daughter Prise."

Yuugi snapped his head to the bottom of the stairs where three people were ascending in royal garbs. The thick layers of furs and grey stood out against the dark crowd.

"King Hans of Chelsiv and his daughters Zen, Mini, and Keneth."

More people in pastel clothes followed up the stairs as the first group shook hands with Yami and walked inside. They would pass Yuugi a look and he would smile, but it felt empty.

"Queens Chloe and Zoey of Amix."

So many faces and skin tones. Names the sounded rough as a rock or smooth as a feather. Smiling faces and stone cold stares. Elegant robes or simple dresses. Gold, jewels, crowns, diamonds, presents, sons, daughters, kings, and queens. Yuugi couldn't keep track of any face or name. The second their eyes locked was all his mind needed to forget that person the minute they looked away. More and more entered the castle in a regal fashion until only one carriage waited.

"King Ahnk and Queen Clea of Caira with their son Honra and their daughter Osin."

The crowd seemed to stir at the names as mutterings and whispers passed between the Lelaninas. The visitors from Caira walked up the stairs with soft smiles and flittering eyes as they took in the crowd around them. Just as the rest they shook hands with Yami and followed inside, but the daughter lingered.

She held Yam's hand longer as her eyes lingered in his. Her smile was warm and inviting while her pink eyes danced in the blue lights, sparkling with promises. She leaned closer to Yami and whispered something to him before dashing after her family as they strode into the ballroom.

Yuugi's stomach flipped as his skin prickled at the image that seared his brain. She had been so close to Yami and her eyes were so inviting. She acted as if she knew him for longer than today, and Yami had smiled. He had allowed her to stay close, to lean forward, to _whisper_ a hidden message only for him before she flittered off like the rest.

His hair bristled as Yami stared wistfully after her, then, with only a quick glance at Yuugi, his face dropped and he retreated into the castle and towards the ballroom. Yuugi remained where he stood, watching Yami's back disappear into the castle. Yusei was the only one to move him by guiding a hand on his back and leading him inside.

For being in a castle filled with lights, people, and music, Yuugi couldn't help but feel like he was sitting in a vast empty cave. The sound that bounced around reverberated against the walls, but he only heard quiet muffles. It felt like had cotton stuffed in his ears.

Smiling faces passed kind words at him, but all he could do was bod politely and follow where ever Yusei was leading him. Colors mingled with shadows and laughter mixed with silence. His heart began to pulse and his throat turned dry while his body began to heat up.

Yuugi was grateful when he was pushed into the plush throne only to take in a shuttering breath at the sight before him. A sea of people swayed in front of him as the sound hit him like a monsoon. The force of all his senses threw him back in his seat as white knuckles gripped the wooden armrests. His body began to shake as the pain in his head throbbed and he had to close his eyes to numb the pain. It didn't work.

"I told you that you shouldn't have come," Yami muttered but to Yuugi, it sounded like he was yelling.

Gritting his teeth, Yuugi forced his eyes open to glare at Yami, "Is now really the time?"

Yami sat stiff in his chair with discomfort swimming in those red depths, "I guess not," he closed his eyes and took in a breath, "If you need to leave, then just do it. No one will stop you."

Even though Yuugi knew the statement was supposed to comfort him, Yuugi felt his heart break at it. Swallowing whatever salvia he had in his dry mouth, Yuugi nodded his head, "Thanks."

Propping his arm on the armrest, Yuugi sat his chin in his palm as he gazed over the crowd. While it hurt to stare at the spinning faces, he was determined to stay as long as he could. Deep down he knew that he should leave, but hearing Yami dismiss him like that hurt Yuugi more than he wanted to admit. Even if the statement was said in good intention, Yuugi couldn't help but reply the words over and over again like a bad omen. He wanted to stay and be apart of this ball if only to prove to Yami that he could.

Mere minutes passed by and Yuugi already felt like it had been hours. His skin was calmy, his body was overheating, and he couldn't remember the last time his head stood still. Yami had left the throne at some point and joined the crowd, but Yuugi lost sight of him and it hurt too much to focus. He thought about joining the crowd if only to get a sip of water from the table, but just the thought of stepping into the swaying mess twisted his stomach into knots.

His hands gripped his chair and chin like a vice as he tried to feign the calm mask he had been holding. His heart was pumping blood through his veins at an accelerated rate as his body tried to stabilize the assault on his senses. Visually, nothing would stop moving and nothing gave him a steady ground: the people were dancing, the chandeliers were undulating, even the stained-glass windows displayed the ever-floating blue lights that bobbed up and down. Despite everything being filtered through cotton, Yuugi still heard every obtrusive voice, every clink of glass, every shriek of music and it grated on his nerves. The clothes on his sensitive skin scratched him and scarred the soft tissue as he felt each thread scrape him with every shake he couldn't suppress. Worst of all was the smell. The sweet fruit mixing with the savory meat, the mingled aroma of faraway places as far as the artic to the desert, and the sickly sting of glorean that lay hidden beneath it all as the movement stirred its natural scent. He would gag if he focused on it for too long.

Closing his eyes, Yuugi shivered as bile rose int he back of his throat and threatened to spill out. His stomach as his knots, his skin was clammy, and his head throbbed with every aching heartbeat. As much as he wanted to stay, Yuugi was unsure how much longer he could hold out. A nip on his gloved hand felt like a knife piercing his flesh.

Yuugi jumped and bit back the yelp as he came face to face with the same black cat that haunted his nightmares.

Yuugi shook his head, "You're not real," he muttered.

The cat glared at him and extended its claws until it dug into Yuugi's legs. He swore he felt the blood drip from the wound, but he was too scared to check.

Tears brimmed Yuugi's eyes when the claws didn't retract, "What do you want?"

The cat perked up at that and bounced out of his lap. Yuugi's hands shot to his throbbing legs where the claws came out, but his focus remained on the cat that floated in the air. Its shadow stretched beneath him as if he was on the ground, but the walked above the crowd. Each paw that padded over the crowd caused the space to ripple as if it were nothing but water. Eventually, the cat stopped and sat down, grinning at Yuugi.

Scared, Yuugi only watched the cat as his eyes tried to focus on its still body. Fear gripped his heart when the cat looked at his feet incling to Yuugi to look down. Yuugi didn't want to, but his eyes felt heavy as something came over him. He couldn't help himself as his eyes lowered and lowered and lowered until they were focused on the two people he stood below the cat.

Yuugi's heart broke.

The Cairanian princess from before stood in front of Yami. The two of them were laughing. They were talking. She was giving food for Yami to try. He took it happily. He was smiling. He was relaxed. He was happy. She was making him happy.

A chocked sod escaped Yuugi as he stood from his chair and ran blindly through the door behind the thrones leading into the kitchen. The servants called out to him, but he continued to run. Even as his body stumbled, tripped, and ached, he continued to run and run until he found himself in the courtyard with the fountain.

The glorean that surrounded the fountain burned his lungs, but he didn't care. He stumbled over to the stone fountain and collapsed beside it. He clung to the edge as his tears slipped from his face.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Yuugi cried into the open air. He could still hear the faint echo of the jovial people inside.

"I'm sorry that I got sick, I'm sorry that I'm a nuisance, I'm sorry that I'm human," Yuugi fisted his hands as he leaned against the freezing stone, "I'm sorry that I trapped us here, I'm sorry that your father died, I'm sorry that your king," his heavy tears splattered against the stone, "I'm sorry that your mother died, I'm sorry that Atemu died, I'm sorry that you hate it here," the tears began to pool and splash into the sacred water. Seeing his impure tears mix in the grey water caused Yuugi to cry harder, "I'm sorry that Mira saved me, I'm sorry that I disgrace her, I'm sorry that I'm here," taking a shaky breath, Yuugi threw his head back and stared into the black and blue-speckled sky, "Just don't leave me!"

Yuugi searched the lights for an answer, but when nothing came he wailed and tipped his face towards the water. His tears sounded like raindrops as they fell into the fountain. Yuugi watched with disdain as the once vibrant water turned grey and sad as if his tears were leeching the life out of it. The blue glow died as more tears tainted the holy water and encompassed the whole fountain. Yuugi screeched and crawled backward when the glow didn't return.

With wide eyes, Yuugi watched as the last of the life left the water and all that stared at him was the corpse of a holy vessel. His body shook violently and his muscles tensed and locked into place. He couldn't look away, he couldn't move from the mess that he made. Shadows moved around him and crawled towards the fountain. They marred the ground as the slithered over it and began to cry once they dove into the grey waters. Moans, cries, and wails of torment crescendoed in Yuugi's ears until it was all he could hear. More and more shadows fell into the fountain making the water turn black like oil.

He shook his head as he body began to crawl backward. Dread filled his stomach, twisted it, and made it lurched, making bile rise into Yuugi's mouth. He bit back the foul liquid as it filled his mouth and left his tongue bitter and acidic. The bitter wind blew throw him as if he were nothing more than a thin leaf and chilled his blood. When his back hit something, he yelped as the iridescent glow of the glorean crept into his vision.

Yuugi tried to scramble away, but the leaves wrapped around him and trapped him in their thickets. He fought against it, tearing at the leaves, but in doing so, he released its pungent odor and its sap stained his gloves. Shadows pushed him down into the plant and he cried out in fear. Frantic breaths burned his lungs as the sickly sweet scent of glorean filled his senses and dulled his mind. His pumping heart made his head spin more as adrenaline coursed through his veins.

With a burst of energy he didn't know he had, Yuugi lurched forward and freed himself from the shadowy hands and the glorean that held him prisoner. His body fell a few feet away, his energy spent and his chest rising and falling rapidly. Yuugi whipped around to look at the poisonous plant and came face to face with the mutilated mess. Its leaves were bent and broken the tall plant smooshed against the ground. Its leaves pulsed as its glow began to weaken and weaken until it was a mere flicker against the black backdrop.

He brought his hand to his mouth in order to muffled his whimpers and heavy breaths but he regretted it the minute he did. The glorean sap on his gloves stained his lips and filled his nose with its sweet essence and tipped him over the edge. Yuugi fell forward and vomited on the emerald grass.

His pale body was wracked with sobs as he climbed to his feet and began to run. He ran into everything, causing him to cry out in pain. He tripped over every step, he knocked over every table, he bumped into every wall, he stumbled into every servant until he was finally back in the ballroom, although he was unaware of where he was until someone called his name.

Yuugi stopped in the middle of the crowd as frantic purple eyes flickered from face to face. All eyes were on him, but they began to blend together. Blue, greys, browns, and pinks turned into black, grey, and red. Pale and tan skin began to soften as the bodies lost their shape and definition until everything was a mass of black. Shadows. Everything was shadows.

Hungry eyes stared at him as demonic grins spilt their faces revealing rows and rows of sharp, white teeth. Yuugi screamed and gripped his hair as his legs began to shake out of fear and effort to keep him standing.

The shadows jumped at him, clawing his skin and scratching his eyes.

He couldn't feel when his body hit the floor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ch 6 Where There's Smoke, There's Fire**

"He still hasn't woken up."

"Give him time, Yami. This might be the first real sleep he's gotten in a while."

"Yusei, he passed out. How can you call that good sleep?"

"I looked into his memories, and I saw the sleep he had been getting. This should be good for him."

"What are we going to do?"

"I don't know. I can try some of my medicine's, but I'm not sure how they will react on a human."

"We'll need more than that. From what you've told me, I don't think that what Yuugi has is normal."

"We can check the files in both the castle and in the temple. Both of them keep records on Lelanian health and history. There's a good chance what Yuugi has is something that we've seen before."

"Maybe we can get Mana to hep. I'll be too busy dealing with the council and the priests."

"They can survive on their own for a few days."

"If I left those bastards alone, they would ruin the city."

"No they won't and you know that. right now, Yuugi needs you."

"I can't. The council-"

"If you hadn't been so distracted by the council, you would have seen Yuugi's illness for what it is."

"I have a city to run, Yusei! And despite my hatred for doing this, I can't let the council rule the kingdom."

"I'm not saying that what you have to do isn't important, I'm just saying that you've been focusing too much on the council and not enough on your lover."

"I didn't think that it was this bad!"

"How couldn't you see?"

"I did see that he was sick, but I knew I couldn't watch him as much as I'd like. tHat's why I asked you to look after him and yet, you didn't tell me he was having hallucinations!"

"You told me to observe, and that's what I did. Yes, I refrained from telling you about the hallucinations; however, Yuugi was making them more and more apparent. Even Kalypto noticed them and she's around him less than you."

"What about before the ball? I told him not to come, but when the council opposed me, so did you. You even _encouraged_ Yuugi to go to the ball.""

"I trusted him to make the right choice. Forcing him to be alone was not what he needed."

"I trusted you to keep him safe!"

"I was, but he's is also your lover. You need to watch him as well."

"I did!"

"No, you didn't. You put your kingdom ahead of your lover when he was in need."

"I didn't!"

"You did."

"No, I did not!"

"Yami-"

"FINE, I DID! I KNOW WHAT I DID!"

"..."

"I know… I just… I can't Yusei…. I didn't want this and I'm trying to balance it out, but it just won't steady. I'm trying to prove myself to the council, I'm trying to heal my city, I'm terrified that Yuugi won't heal, I just…"

"Yami, even your father would take a few days off to sort his life and be with his family. Those days became few and far between the older you were, but they still existed."

"If I did that, the council would think me weak."

"..."

"Ha… what do you think would happen if I just took Yuugi and ran? What if we disobeyed Mira's law and fled back to Earth?"

"... I don't know."

"I've thought about it. I've thought about just leaving this all behind and continuing our lives back on Earth. I wanted to meet Yuugi's mother, I wanted to share his friends, I wanted to be apat of _his_ life."

"..."

"Now he's stuck living mine."

Yuugi's hand twitched as his foggy mind grasped the voices around him. He soft furs tickled his fingeres as they curled and uncurled, reawakening the blood in theirs viens. Awareness eluded Yuugi even as sleep began to slip from his mind. Everything was fuzzy and when he cracked over his eyes, they burned at the harsh light.

Yuugi groaned as he tilted his head into the pillow. There were footsteps and the sound of curtains moving before weight dipped the mattress.

"Yuugi, are you awake? Please wake up."

The baritone voice was bittersweet to Yuugi's nerve. He wanted to drown in it and let its smooth tones wash away the dull pain that throbbed in his limbs, but at the same time, he wanted to run from it, hide from it. He didn't want to be near it.

"Yuugi, please, Love, please wake up."

Yuug titled his head towards the voice and peeked his eyes open into slits. Amoungst the black and blue back drops, there were two glowing red orbs that stuck fear into his soul. He jumped when they moved closer and scurried back until his tired limbs gave out beneath him.

"Yuugi, calm down."

Turning his head to the other voice, he was meet with two familiar blue eyes: the same eyes that the cat always had. A chill raced up his spine and Yuugi began to shake. His body couldn't move and his limbs felt heavy. Not knowing anything else to do, Yuugi tossed the covers over his head and curled into a ball.

Something shifted closer and Yuugi shivered as a cold feeling gripped his heart, "P-please, just st-stay away," he stuttered.

"Yuugi, it's me, Yami."

Yuugi shook his head, "N-no you're not."

"Yuugi, please, just look at me."

"No!" Yuugi shrieked as something pulled at the covers. He fought agausnt his pursuer over the blanket. His one piece of protection was being tugged from his grasp and threatening to leave him bare to whatever his pursuer wanted. There was another weight on the bed and Yuugi frantically fought for the blanket.

After some curses between the two entities, the sheets were released and Yuugi curled around them securly. One of the weights lifted off the bed before steps could be heard pacing nearby. Knowing that there was an angry predator nearby caused Yuugi to whimper and shrink in on himself. His heart pounded and his blood pumped adrenaline in his veins. Despite his energy boost, his muscles locked up and his body froze with fear.

Something touched him through the sheets and before he had a chance to jump away, something began to claw into his mind. It felt like something was ripping and clawing at the cobwebs that coated his mind. It hurt, but with each break of the web, more senses came into clarity. He could hear familiar voices and see the soft blue lights on the other side of the sheets. He could feel the could Lelanian air and smell the crisp scent with a hint of glorean. The shadows were receding and leaving him a clear image the longer the webs were hacked at.

When there was a clear path through the filthy cobwebs, something reached for him and began to pull him through the tunnel. Yuugi began to feel cold despite ebbing under the heavy fur blankets and he could hear the faint mutterings of the pacing predator. The voice was familiar and soothing.

His senses latched onto the sound as his guide led him through the sticky mess of spider webs. Some would try to cling onto him, but the force pulling him let none stay as it fought to bring him forward. Towards where Yuugi didn't know, but it was a lot calmer than what he was sitting in. While his heart and blood began to slow, his lungs heaved with effort. He could hear another person huffing beside him and the hand on his shoulder grew heavy as though it were using him as support.

When he was finally out of the trap of cobwebs, a heavy weight fell from his mind and his thoughts began to piece together. A dark foreboding hung around him, but it dared not come near when the other person was still touching him With a shuttering breath, Yuugi peeked out from under the blankets to see Yami pacing the side of the bed with Yusei hunched over beside him, breathing rapidly.

Yuugi was no better than Yusei as they both struggled to catch their breaths. Both had pale, clammy skin and their eyes shifted from dazed to focused.

Yusei's ear were drooped low and his tail was almost lifeless, "Better?" he huffed.

Yuugi nodded, "A little."

Yusei nodded and let his body fall on to the bed beside him. Amethyst eyes widened as his friend sunk into the sheets, his tail swishing weakly as his only sign of life. He reached his hand out to touch the Neko, but the other didn't respond.

"Let him rest."

Yuugi snapped his head towards Yami who stopped pacing and watched him from the side. Yuugi glanced back at Yusei then to Yami, "But what happened?"

Yami's eyes narrowed in thought, "He sorted through your mind and brought you out of your hallucination."

Yuugi balked, "How did you know?"

Yami nodded his head towards Yusei, "He told me."

"But he promised that he wouldn't tell anyone. He promised that he wouldn't tell you. I thought that I could trust him," Yuugi gripped his hair as a cold shiver raced over his body. His amethyst eyes were wide as saucers as they stared at the blanket in his lap. He began to shake.

Yami kneeled on the mattress, drawing Yuugi's worried gaze, "He had to tell me, you've been acting so strange lately, but I didn't know just how bad it was getting," he looked away and closed his eyes taking a deep breath. When they opened again, they were soft and unfocused as he refused to look at Yuugi, "How could you not want me to know about this?"

Yuugi let his hands slip from his head and fall into his lap and despite his best efforts, he couldn't stop shivering. He cast forlorn eyes away from Yami, "I… I didn't want to burden you. You were already so busy with the rest of the kingdom," he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to block the Lelanian breeze that pierced his skin and chilled his bones. Tears pricked at his eyes, "I just… wanted to help."

"Mira damn it," Yami muttered, "Yuugi," when the teen refused to meet his eye, Yami gently turned Yuugi's face to look at him. Yuugi felt his shiver's lesson, "I'm sorry for the past few days. I know I seemed stressed, but I should have been paying more attention to you. King or not, I love you and I can't stand if anything bad happened to you."

Yuugi pressed against the warm hand on his cheek, a soft smile ghosting his lips, when he remembered something. The memory flickered in his brain. His face twisted as his eyes hardened and he leaned away from Yami, "You say you love me and yet you were with her at the ball."

Confussion furrowed Yami's eyebrows, "Her? Who are you talking about?"

"The Cairanian princess at the ball. She was whispering to you and hanging around you. It was becuase of her that I saw you smile for the first time in days. A real smile, and it was with her!" Yuugi pushed Yami away just as a bitter feeling twisted his heart. The emotion was strong as it clawed into his brain and lit a fire in his blood. Despite the hot rage that grew in his veins, an emptiness built in his core, leaving him hollow and bitter.

Yami sat back as he watched Yuugi. Yuugi could see the gears turning in Yami's head as he tried to make since of what Yuugi said. It wasn't long before understanding flickered in cimson eyes,"Yuugi, listen to me. It isn't what you think."

"How so?" Yuugi snapped.

"She didn't come onto me romantically. She just wanted to talk about Atemu."

Amethyst eyes darkened and narrowed into a glare, "Atemu."

Yami nodded his head and crawled closer, "The people of Caira understand what happened to him and felt sad when one of their own died. While she never knew Atemu personally, she still wanted to talk about him and see how I was doing."

"So you were happy because you were talking about _him_ ," Yuugi stated in a chilling voice that made Yami freeze.

Yami blinked then regared Yuugi, "Yuugi, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" white knuckles gripped the fur blanket, "WHAT'S WRONG?!" Yuugi yelled.

Yami flinched at his loud voice before the fur blanket was thrown in his face, "Yuugi, what the Hell?"

"You sure seem to be happy when it doesn't involve me! You don't talk to me, you don't hang around me, you didn't even want me to go to the ball! Knowing that, you ask me, what's wrong?!"

"Yuugi, I'm sorry that you feel that way, but it isn't true," hurt flashed in crimson eyes, but Yuugi chose to ignore it.

"I just want you to be happy, but you only seem to be happy when you aren't around me!"

"Yuugi, wait!"

Said teen scrambled over Yusei and off of the bed, as far away from Yami as he could; however, when he tried to stand his legs wobbled and gave out. Yami reached out for him, but Yuugi evaded his grasp at the last second just as his body hit the cold floor with a heavy thud. He shrieked as the stone seeped the last bit of heat from his skin, leaving him a shivering mess. Yuugi tried to curl in on himself to preserve his warmth, but it was to late.

The empty cavern inside him grew until it encompassed his entire being. He felt empty, the room felt empty, the castle felt empty, even the town felt empty. Dead. Everything was dead. No one breath life as every body laid motionless on the floor, leaving him all on his own, trapped in the lonieness the world held.

His heart beat raced at the thouhgt of being all on his own. The spider web that he was free from began to ensnare him once more and pull him back in its trap. He burst out of his curled shape in order to fight off the webbing, but to no avail. With every swing of his limbs, it seemed more of the web stuck to his skin and trapped him more securely.

He let out a cry of protest when he lost feeling in his fingers. Something held onto his face and held it steady. No amount of thrashing on his part could wrench himself free and he was forced to stare into deep ocean eyes.

The web began to receed, but before he could be completly freed a second time, the blue eyes rolled back and fell out of sight. He screamed when a heavy weight fell onto his legs.

"Yuugi! It's okay, it's okay."

The weight was moved off of his legs as warm arms wrapped around him. He struggled agaisnt the hold until he gripped onto the familiar scarf that Yami always wore. The grey fabric felt soft in his hands and was the only thing that stayed warm whenever he touched it. It made the cavern in his core lessen, so he clutched onto it curled closer to the being around him.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi."

Tears slipped past Yuugi's eyes and his stomach churned. Despite the living body around him, the only warmth that stayed was in the fabric still clutched in his hands. He began to shiver as a breeze from the open window shook his body like an autumn leaf. Dread began to fill his stomach like a rock.

"Yuugi everything is going to be okay."

He could feel them. Their tiny, spindely legs crawled over his legs, up his arms, around his head, ceating a costant scuttling in his ears.

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle_

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle_

Bile rose in his throat when he looked at the black bodies that crawled across his skin. Their eight, blank eyes watched him with malicious intent. Their web covered his body in sticky stands, making it hard for him to move. He wanted to push them off, to get away from them, but he was terrified to release the scarf. It was the only thing that the spiders avoided as if touching it would burn him.

Yuugi tugged at the scarf, trying to bring it closer, trying to use it to protect him, but something stopped him. It wouldn't let go. He pulled harder but to no avail. The number of spiders increased until they were a crawling mass of black over his body.

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle_

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle_

Fear took the forfont of Yuugi's mind as he began to frantically tug at the scarf. The spider legs were beginnging to feel like needles and each step pricked new skin. It hurt. It stung. It _never stopped._

 _Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle_

 _SNIP! SNIP!_

Yuugi cried out wehn he felt pincers pierce his skin. Soon came another, then another. More, more, and more bit at his chew, latching in and chewing on his pale flesh. Tears like rivers corsed under the spiders as he yanked at the scarf. Still, the scarf refused to budge and more and more spiders crawled over him, on him, in him!

They were in his ears, pushing up his nose, and when he yelled, they pushed down his thraot. He began to choke and cough as more hurried in, tickling his esophagus and nipping his tongue. They tasted foul as their hairy body filled his mouth and poisoned his stomach.

His body shook and he could feel their tiny bodies moving his insdies, crawling over his brain, and lurking benather his skin. Yuugi wailed as the spiders assultaed his body.

 _SCUTTLE, SCUTTLE, SCUTTLE_

 _SNIP!_

 _SCUTTLE_

 _SNIP! SNIP!_

He swore he could feel his flesh being eaten and the blood trailing down in rivers. Desperate, Yuugi clutched onto the scarf, his only savior, with all his might, and pulled. The scarf came loose and his body fell to the floor. The scarf landed on his body and he could hear the tiny shrieks as the spiders shrived and died on his skin. They ran away, out of his body, out of his mind, and out of the room only to lurk in the shadows in hopes that they could return.

He cried when he felt spider corpses move in his mouth and he rolled onto his stomach. His nose was bleeding and dripped red liquid on to the floor. The sight of his blood spilling on to the stone and splashing over dead spiders was too much. He pushed onto his hands and knees and vomited onto the floor. He swore he could feel the unlucky spiders that died in his stomach scratch his throat as he expelled them from his body.

"We're losing him. What do we do?"

"I can't help him. His body needs rest."

"No, he can't! He needs to stay away! Yuugi, please stay awake! Don't fall asleep!"

"Yuugi?"

 _YUUGI!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Ch 7 You Can Lead A Horse To Water…**

"Have you found anything?"

"I'm sorry, I haven't."

"Neither have I."

"There was nothing in the Lelanian files?"

"Yami, it's only been two days since we started looking into this. We still have many more files to go through."

"What about the Priest's files. Have you found anything there?"

"No. I'm sorry, Yami, but we just need more time."

"He doesn't have a lot of time!"

Yuugi whimpered at the harsh voice that stabbed at his ears like a knife.

"Yami, control yourself. We're doing everything we can to find out what he's afflicted with."

"What about your medicines? Have any of them worked?"

"No. I've tried most of them from the common cold to foreign poisons -Mana has even given me some medicine from Caria to try- but none of them have taken effect. Keep in mind, I've only been trying for two days. Some of these may need more time in order to set in."

"Not to mention that we don't know how these medicines will affect a human. They might not even work at all."

"The only medicine that seems to have at least calmed some of his fever has been my glorean antidote. It seems to calm his sense, but the effects don't last long."

"So this could be something to do with the glorean?"

"'Possibly, but I'll have to look further into it."

Yuugi began to feel hot under the covers. Sweat covered his skin in a fine sheen and soaked the heavy furs and blankets on top of him.

"What of the council? How are they handling this?"

"Rumonbothe, Dovai, and Odamanai are all having a field day, although they only show it behind my back. The rest are concerned but are more focused on the town."

"What of them?"

"I've heard some things coming home these past two nights. They know that the Young Lover is not well. The verdict seems to be split on whether it's good or bad."

"Mana's right. They're no better than the council. So are the priests. Between Abur and Yuugi, the temple of Mira is at ends with itself."

"Do they still not believe that Abur kidnapped you and Yuugi."

"Hardly. Until there is more agreement amongst the council and priests, the only thing we can do is keep her locked in the castle dungeon."

"I never thought that I would have to use that again."

Yuugi rolled onto his side trying to get comfortable; however, he soon found another issue arise. His mouth was dry and a bitter tang stained his tongue. The salvia that coated his mouth was thick and sticky and was ill-suited to saturate properly. What was worse was the cavern that seemed to be his stomach. He was hungry and the longer he stayed aware of it, the stronger the feeling became. It wasn't long before his stomach rumbled to remind him of his issue.

"So long as I reign, she will not be able to leave this castle."

"But then what are we going to do? We can't keep her there forever."

"Yet we can't kill her either. Too many people don't believe what she's done, and even if they did, Mira has to approve the punishment."

"There's been some problems with that."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the priests are beginning to say that they can't contact Mira or that they don't feel her presence. It had started a few days ago when they felt her presences weakening, but they didn't think much of it."

"She has been dormant before in the past, but the priests fear that this is something different."

"What if she's mad and has decided to abandon Lelania?"

"No. Our goddess would never leave our people. She created us, she gave us a home, she has guided us through all the fear-driven decisions, she would not leave us now."

"Then what could it be?"

Yuugi squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the aching pain in his stomach. His fingers twitched against the sheets and his brain fought to understand all that was around him. He could hear voices, but they all blended together into one noise. It was hard for him to tell who was talking, but they were upset, frustrated, and angry.

The emotions crowed his mind and jumbled his thoughts. He couldn't understand what was his own and what was theirs. It blended together and left no guideline for him to follow. Another rumble tore through his stomach and he whimpered at the pain that wracked his body.

"There's something going on here, but we have yet to know what it is."

"You don't think Mira's silence and Yuugi's illness has something in common do you?"

"I have no idea. It's too soon to say, but not too late to make claims."

The voices grated on his nerves like a sword to a grindstone. They shrieked, sparked, and sharped the longer they spoke only to leave him scared and worn. His ears were beginning to ring until he swore they were going to pop. His stomach roared, his brain screeched, and his body ached. He needed silence, he needed everything to stop. Stop. STOP!

"Shut up!" Yuugi yelled only to keel over in a coughing fit.

Yuugi couldn't hear the voices over his throat-tearing coughs. They were silent. Now all that was left was his thundering coughs that were like nails on a chalkboard. What was worse was that each cough shook his body and tore at his throat like claws. He couldn't breathe and he couldn't stop. He could feel a liquid fill his mouth and dribble past his lips. The liquid was sour and wet his lips as they overflowed, but his focus was not on the taste: it was fighting for the breath that seemed to elude him so dangerously.

"Shit! Mana, go get some water and clothe. Yusei and I will try and calm him down."

"I'm on it!"

There was the click of a door then weight on the bed.

"Do you think the medicine will work?"

"It will stop the coughing, but I don't know how his mental state is."

"Will you be able to pull him out of it?"

"I can try, but I'll need to rest afterward. Will you be able to handle him if I go down?"

"Yes."

Hands forced Yuugi back until he was sitting up on the bed. Even though he was coughing, he could feel the blood dripping back into his throat and clogging the passageway. He struggled to breathe and his limbs began to flail wildly. He lashed out at the bodies next to him, but they dodged the sloppy movements and tilted his head backward. Adrenaline made his heart beat fast and his eyes darted to every moving shadow and shape that entered his vision.

The hands moved until his head was tilted back and his jaw was forced open. He screamed when he failed to breathe; instead, he gurgled on the gathering blood and lurched his body away from the hands that latched onto him with an iron grip. Something was poured into his mouth. It felt like a powder and tasted spicy.

The powder clung to his mouth and his throat, soaking up the extra liquid and allowing air to come through easily. His chest rose and fell and he gulped in breath after precious breath; however, his pace began to quicken when he could feel the fingers on the hands grow. They became long and pointy with sharp talons meant for shredding and ripping skin. They wrapped around his bony arms and squeezed.

Yuugi screamed and thrashed around the embrace, trying to run away, but the hands were strong as steel and dug into his skin. Wild amethyst eyes dared to look over his shoulder where he knew the entity was. He immediately regretted it.

Sitting behind him, with its lanky arms trapping him was a tall, skinny figure, shrouded with shadows with white piercing eyes and its limbs twisted backward. It stared at him as though it could see his soul and leaned closer.

Someone tore his head away from the entity and he felt something lean on his forehead. Something -a presence- ripped him from the figures embrace and dragged him away from it even as it reached out for him. The presence pulled him through a mess of cobwebs, slowly, slowly, until the colors became sharper. Every sound was clear and his heart began to calm. When he was released from the spiderweb grip, it felt like someone had popped the cork off a bottle of champagne.

Something heavy fell onto the mattress in front of him, releasing his face and making him lose balance. His body tried to collapse on the bed, his energy drained, but two strong arms caught him and pulled him into a warm chest. While the heat from the body was becoming too much, the cold air that surrounded him was just as unappealing.

"Yuugi?"

That sweet baritone was like music to his ears, "Yami?"

Yami pulled back so that he could look Yuugi in the eyes. The elder took a shuddering breath and rose a hand to cup Yuugi's pale cheek, "Are you alright?"

More tears welled up in Yuugi's arms. Slowly he shook his head, "Yami, I don't know what's wrong."

The look of anguish that befell Yami's face was enough to break Yuugi. With a desperate cry, Yuugi fell into Yami's arms which wrapped around him securely. Yami pulled Yuugi into his lap and the two of them clung to each other, desperate for the other person and yet lost as to what to do.

There was movement on the bed and Yuugi jumped as he looked around for the source. He only relaxed when he realized it was just Yusei who was passed out on the bed.

Amethyst eyes still watching Yusei, Yuugi asked, "What happened?"

"He helped sort your mind, to put it simply. Whatever illness you have is messing with your brain and giving you not only realistic but strong hallucinations as well. Luckily, Yusei is able to use his magic to bring you back, if only for a short time," Yami sighed, "It's temporary, but I'm not sure how much longer Yusei can do it."

Yuugi reached out a hand and placed it on Yusei's head. The Neko's ears twitched before the body fell still once more. As Yuugi rested his hand on Yusei, silently thanking him for his help, he noticed a feeling wrapped around his torso. At first, he thought it was restricting his movements and fear spiked through his brain. His muscles tensed, ready to fight off whatever was around him, but the fear slipped like water through a siff and he was left feeling calm and secure. Slowly, his amethyst eyes moved from his friend, up his arm, and to the scarf that was tied around his arms.

Yuugi blinked and touched the familiar fabric. Warmth radiated from the soft threads and soothed his mind as the scent of dessert spices danced in the air. The fabric felt less like the restricting coil of a boa constrictor and was more the secure embrace of a loved one. When Yuugi looked to Yami, he noticed that Atemu's scarf was no longer tied around the king's arms.

"You wouldn't part with it, so I decided to let you have it."

Amethyst jumped to crimson with a curious expression. Yami let out a soft chuckle as he looked down to the scarf, "It seemed to be able to calm you when I couldn't. I figured that you needed it more than I did."

"But wasn't this Atemu's? Shouldn't you have it back?" Despite the spike of anxiety that crashed into him like lightening at the thought of handing the fabric over, Yuugi swallowed his fear and began to fumble with the knot, intent on handing it back to Yami.

Yami placed his hands over Yuugi's shaking ones and halted his movements, "I kept it because it reminded me that Atemu was always there and calmed me when I was upset," They locked eyes once more, "Now it can do the same for you with me."

Fresh tears welled in amethyst orbs, although they were bittersweet. He dropped his hands from the scarf, but also ducked his head from Yami's loving gaze, "You talk about Atemu as if he was the most precious thing in the world," he hiccuped and rose his hands to his mouth, "Meanwhile, I'm just a burden."

"Yuugi, you're not a burden-"

"How so?" Yuugi snapped but refused to meet Yami's eyes, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be stuck in Lelania and your father would still be alive. The council wouldn't hate you and you wouldn't have o be judged by the Lelanian people. You wouldn't have to worry about me on top of running the kingdom. There's so much in your life that could be better, but because of me, you can't have it."

"Yuugi, stop it. You're not a burden; in fact, you are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. Yuugi," Yami tsked as he forced Yuugi's head towards him and waited until the younger looked up, "While I did love Atemu, and I still do, I also love you. Yes, there are things that I can't change and I wish they were different, but I would hate not having you in my life more than anything. Nothing is your fault: everything that has happened was bound to happen," He offered a small smile, "I'm just lucky that I got to experience it with you."

Yuugi shook his head, "But with this illness, I'm no help to anybody. I'm hurting so many people, even though I don't mean to, and I hate it. I want to help, I don't want to be a burden."

"Whatever this illness is, it's not your fault. Mana, Yusei, and I worry about you because we care about you. We want you to get better. I will admit that it hasn't been easy with this illness, especially when you haven't been open as to what has been happening to you, but I'm more concerned about you getting better. If you want to help, healing would be the best thing that you can do. Please, let us help you."

"He's right, Yuugi," Both Yami and Yuugi turned to see Mana walking in through the door with water and some washcloths in hand. She sat down on the bed with a smile, "When Atemu got sick, he tried to put up a brave face, make it look like it didn't hurt as much as it actually did. It was agonizing to watch him put himself through so much pain all because he didn't want any of us to worry," her brown eyes lingered on Yami's before they both looked away, "By the time he couldn't fake it anymore, he was too far gone for us to save. Please don't make the same mistake."

"I don't have any idea as to what this could be though," Yuugi whimpered.

Yami tightened his hold on Yuugi, "Neither do we, but we're looking into our history to see if something like this has happened before. So far nothing has come up, but we still have more files to look through."

Mana flickered her gaze around the room and chewed on her bottom lip, "I'm not sure, but I think Priestess Abur may know something about this."

Amethyst eyes widened and his muscles tensed. He curled closer to Yami while he gripped the scarf around his arms. He felt Yami tense as well before he relaxed, his crimson eyes hardened as they studied Mana.

"Do you think it could be another attack from her group?" Yami inquired.

Mana shook her head, "No, this is different from last time; however, she seems knowledgeable about these types of illnesses. If she wasn't the one to do this, then maybe she has some answers."

Yami growled, "I'd rather not talk to that witch."

Mana leveled him with a hard stare, "But right now she's our best bet."

Yuugi shivered at the tension that strung between the two of them. Mana was typically so cheerful, but now a cloud of dread hung over her like a fog. Not only did it dim her light, but it seemed to drag her flighty spirit down. Old wounds shone in her brown eyes, but Yuugi couldn't tell just what they were from.

Likewise, a sense of foreboding lingered around Yami. His confidence fluctuated as fear and uncertainty crept inside of him. Seeing Yami so reluctant and afraid struck something deep inside Yuugi. It felt like his pillar was slowly eroding and the strength that it promised was unstable.

Something in Yuugi's mind laughed. It was jovial, malicious, promising. Its dark undertones reverberated off the walls and echoed back in his ears and ringing deep within his core. It wanted him to go to meet Abur, but not to get answers. It wanted Yuugi to drown in her 'purifications' and fall lifeless at her hands.

Yuugi heard a shuffling and jumped out of Yami's arms when he felt something breath on the back of his neck. He landed close to Mana with his wide eyes searching for the source of the breath, but he was met with empty air. His heartbeat picked up when he thought he heard something scuttling closer to the bed.

Yuugi?

"Yuugi!"

Said teen whipped his head to Yami who was watching him with fearful eyes. Yuugi gripped onto the scarf and took a few deep breaths. When he was sure that his heart wouldn't beat out of his chest, he crawled back over to Yami and sought shelter in his lover's arms. Despite the small sense of security, he felt when Yami held him, Yuugi still bounced his eyes around to every shadow in the room, searching for the source of the scuttling that seemed to be all around them.

"If we go then Yuugi can't come."

"Yami he has a right to be there."

"I don't need Abur trying to hurt him while we're down there."

"Ask him first before you make a decision for him."

"I'm trying to keep him safe."

"By leaving him by himself?"

"Please," Yuugi whispered as he dared to take his eyes off an undulating shadow behind the couch in order to look up to Yami, "Don't leave me alone."

"Yuugi, you shouldn't be moving if you're sick," Yami countered.

"If you all leave then I don't know what it will do," Yuugi let his eyes slip back to the shadow that now sulked at the edge of the bed.

Guilt flashed in Yami's eyes as he turned to look at what Yuugi saw. When he came up with nothing, he sighed, "Alright, but if it becomes too much, just let me know. We'll leave right then and there."

Yuugi nodded his head while his eyes remained unblinking on the dark mass, "Thank you."

Mana leaned back, unintentionally getting closer to the black shadow. Yuugi twitched and almost screamed when it began to cling onto her. The only thing that held him back was the feeling of something clawing at his legs, threatening to break them if he made a sound.

"Let's wait for Yusei to wake up. We'll need him," Mana suggested.

Yuugi squeaked as he nodded his head, "That would be best," he whispered.

()

The halls were dark and dank, so much unlike the friendly halls from above. The crystal lights here flickered and glowed teal as opposed to the usual vibrant blue. Also, it wasn't the pleasant chill like above but an arctic frost that seemed to inhabit the stone walls. It felt like they were exploring an abandoned castle.

Yuugi's eyes shifted along the bare walls as he watched shadows jump around, stalking behind the group. They didn't dare come close with Yami, Mana, and Yusei nearby; however, they were growing impatient. Their growls filled the dead silence and he could hear their sharp claws scratch the stone surface.

He huddled closer to Yami, pressing into the other's side while his arms remained a vice grip around Yami's. He would stumble every so often, but Yami would catch him. Their walk was slow for Yuugi as his limbs felt heavy and were hard to move; however, he refused to be carried. He wanted to walk if only because it was the only thing he felt like he could do.

Yusei walked in the front of the group with his ears perked and his tail low. Even though Yuugi couldn't see his face, he knew that Yusei was fighting the exhaustion that still lingered from his energy drain. Still, the Royal Champion kept a brave face as he led them into the depths of the castle.

Mana, on the other hand, let her unease show. From her jittering eyes to her shaking hands, her nerves were getting the best of her the deeper they went. Even with the fur coat she had, the unforgiving air chilled everyone to the bone. Yuugi almost couldn't feel his fingers.

The long, empty hallway was void of any decorations or doors. It was narrow and the ceiling was lower, making Yuugi feel trapped in the tight courters. It was not a place for Lelanians to visit.

Finally, the hallway opened up into a small room made of black stone. There were no windows, but there was a shallow pool of water that sat in the center of the room, providing most of the light int he space. Potted glorean shimmered int he corners making the room more ominous than what Yuugi was comfortable with. He stalled in the doorway, staring into the iron cells that lined all the walls.

His head told him to run, his heart told him to hide, but his body refused to leave. Yuugi wanted to collapse and curl into a corner, but it was thanks to Yami that he took his first step into the foreign room. Yuugi could feel Yami's muscle's tense under his hands.

"My, my, not many dare brave to enter a place so far from Mira's love," Abur's taunting voice trailed out of a cell on the left.

Yusei walked up to the cell, "We've come to talk."

"Why would I talk with any of you? Two half-bloods and two foreigners: you should count yourself lucky that you get to even see a priestess."

Yuugi couldn't see Abur from where he and Yami stood, but he could hear the knowing smile on her lips.

"You are not a priestess of Mira. You don't preach of love and peace: you cause pain and torment," Yami hissed.

"And a cursed Prince like yourself has a better right? You disgrace our goddess with your filthy blood and tainted spirit."

"His title is king now," Mana quipped as she walked past Yami and Yuugi to stand beside Yusei, "You should address him as such."

"He is no more a king than you are a Lelanian."

Mana recoiled at the comment, taking a step away from the cage. When she composed herself, Yami moved forward to stand beside her, but Yuugi let go of his arm. His feet were rooted to the ground and he was too scared to move further into the room.

Yami paused in his pursuit to look back at Yuugi, "What's wrong?"

Yuugi shook his head, but the action threw off his balance. He swayed until he needed to use the wall as support; however, touching the stone was like touching ice. It froze his numb fingers until they turned red. All the warmth drained from his body and he could see his breath when he exhaled. The only warmth he felt was from the scarf around his arms.

"I-I can't…" He shivered.

Abur chuckled from her cage, "You have a right to be afraid. You have no right to be here."

Yami growled, "What do you know? He has every right to be here."

"My Prince, we have our rules for a reason. No human must ever step foot into Lelania and he has overstayed any privilege he thinks he has."

"This town holds itself high with talk of love and peace, yet the only people here with 'privilege' are those of pure blood," Yami snapped as he walked up to Abur's cage, "Yuugi has done nothing wrong, you have no right to treat him like this."

"You have forgotten, Prince, as have the rest of Lelania. Our rules are for a reason and with them, you are meant to trust."

"You mean blindly follow," Yami growled.

Abur tsked, "You forget the land in which we live. It was once uninhabitable and only through Mira's blessing were we able to live here. There is a reason only Lelanian's survived the attack, my Prince."

"So you do have something to do with Yuugi's illness," Yami muttered before yelling, "Just like you planned the epidemic a few years ago!"

"You are wrong, my Prince. That human's illness is nothing more than the reason that we have our rules. Had they been followed, you would not be faced with the predicament you have now."

Yusei's tail flicked, "Explain yourself."

Yuugi whimpered as the lights in the room flickered although the rest of the people didn't react. Only Yuugi noticed the stirring shadows that began to stretch in the cages as though waking up from a deep slumber. They crawled and paced behind the bars until the space was nothing but an inky void. Then they moved towards the bars and reached out, their lanky arms and sharp nails cutting the empty air.

He jumped when he felt nails graze his ankles and looked at the floor. There were more shadows seeping through the cracks in the stone and reaching out to grab and tear his flesh. Despite his weak legs, he bound over to Yami, nearly tripping when one of the shadows wrapped around his leg. Yami caught him and pulled him close to his chest, making the shadow release him and slink back into the growing mass around him.

Yuugi's attention was pulled into the cage when he heard shuffling.

Abur wrapped pale fingers around the iron bars, but she kept her head hung low so that her eyes were shrouded, "Mira's gift was not a home, my Prince, it was protection."

Slowly, she rose her head and her piercing, pale blue eyes stared back at the group. The rest seemed unfazed by the act, but Yuugi shrunk back from the stare. She was stabbing him with her eyes and the pain increased the longer they held each other's gaze; however, Yuugi couldn't look away. He was frozen and the shadows took that as their chance.

With a roar of triumph, the shadows shattered the iron bars and lept from their prison's. Yuugi screamed as the room was filled with darkness and all he could see were the iridescent glorean and Abur's eyes. Then, the arms that surrounded him disappeared and he could no longer feel Yami's presence. He was alone and hungry eyes glared at him, even though he couldn't see them.

He ran.

Through the dark, through the halls, and through the pain, he ran, desperate to find another living body nearby. He couldn't be alone: he was in the castle, surrounded by people. There was Kalo, Kora, Kalypto, Kura, Mana, Yusei, Yami, Safia, Odette, Dovai, Syracuse, Rumonbothe, there had to be someone! Even outside of Lelnian, he had people who cared for him, therefore he couldn't be alone. Sadly, no matter how many times he screamed those words in his head, they felt empty and he knew his heart didn't believe them.

Low rumbles and growls echoed around him, only interrupted by the sound of his own broken sobs. His legs were getting tired and they burned like fire. He couldn't feel his hands as the cold wind blew past his face. It froze his very core until he couldn't move anymore. He fell with a cry.

Tears burned down his frozen cheeks and gripped on the floor below; however, instead of creating a small pool of water, the floor rippled as though his tears broke the surface of water. Amethyst eyes blinked as he stared at the floor until he could see his reflection on the water's surface. His eyes were closed and his skin was pale. He screamed when the eyes opened, revealing dead crimson eyes.

Yuugi fell backward, breaking the water's surface, and he could feel himself begin to dip into the frigid waters. Before he was completely submerged, he saw other bodies bob along the water, each with dead eyes and blood dribbling past their open mouths: Khloe, Kley, Kannon, Kore, Coral, Lazulin, Teryn, Yusei, Mana, the King, Yami…

With a final cry of terror, Yuugi let himself be overtaken by the black waters. He barely felt the warm pair of arms that wrapped around him lovingly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ch 8 Live And Let Die**

Yuugi was curled on the couch, wrapped in numerous blankets; however, none of them rid him of the chill that encompassed him. He shivered when a strong breeze blew open one of the windows. He heard Yami shuffle over to the window and shut the glass before pulling the curtains over it. It was too late. The freezing air already saturated the air and left Yuugi frozen on the couch.

He shuttered and watched as his breath created a cloud. Just before the fog disappeared, Yuugi swore he saw an eye-less face staring back at him. With a small whimper, Yuugi cuddled closer to the blankets and closed his eyes.

His limbs were so cold, that they were beginning to burn. He already couldn't feel his fingers and toes, but he knew there was nothing they could do. He had already told Yami, but nothing they tried worked. On top of that, his stomach didn't seem capable of keeping down any more food. No matter how much it growled in hunger, every time he tried to eat, the food would come back up a few minutes later. It didn't matter if he ate a small crust of bread or piece of meat, nothing would settle.

Sleep was another thing that was evading Yuugi too. It was already a problem before the ball, but now it escalated past that. It used to be that he wouldn't be able to even get wink of sleep. Now it seemed like all he wanted to do was sleep without the benefits. It didn't matter if he closed his eyes for a second or for a whole day: he would wake up feeling tired, groggy, confused, and overall worse than he did before. After he passed out after seeing Abur, he stayed asleep for another two days, but he might as well have been wide awake.

Yuugi sneezed as another shiver wracked his body, reawakening the goosebumps that seemed to always be on his flesh now. There was the crash of glass shattering and he turned his head towards the mirror that Yami had. It was broken, the glass shards scattered along the floor while the back was open, revealing the hidden entrance that he and Yami first arrived in. In the shadows of the stairs, Yuugi saw something slink away.

"Is something wrong?"

Reluctantly, Yuugi looked up to Yami, "Something just broke the mirror."

Yami looked over to the mirror with a grim expression. When he sighed and looked away, Yuugi knew that he hadn't seen it. A clanking of jars and the moving of drawers pulled Yuugi to the vanity where a little girl, as thin as a skeleton, sat on the stool. Her back was turned and her long black hair was oily and tangled in knots. She was opening the drawers and throwing the contents on the floor. When she looked up, she caught his stare and the smirk that cracked her lips split her face in half. Without any words, she slammed her head forward into the mirror. It cracked under her force as she continued to slam her face into the shattered surface. Bits of glass sliced her skin and cut her hair as blood spilled all over the wooden surface. The crown and tiara that sat on its surface were drenched in the red liquid as she continued to bang her head into the vanity.

Yuugi whimpered and closed his eyes, but he could still hear the rattling of the vanity against the wall. The sound of flesh hitting glass and blood dribbling onto the floor thundered in his ears. The drawers shook until they fell out and crashed onto the floor. Yuugi covered his ears, but the chill from his fingers stung his tender flesh and brought tears to his eyes. When he felt sharp glass press into his eyes lids, Yuugi screamed and open them.

"Yuugi?" Yami asked in as gentle of a voice as he could manage.

"Make her stop," Yuugi whined.

Yami looked utterly helpless as he searched around for what could be bothering him. He cursed when his eyes came up with nothing. Yuugi shuttered a breath and hid his head in his arms. He flinched when Yami wrapped his arms around his shivering body, and even after a few seconds of reassurance, Yuugi's muscles refused to relax from their tense state.

Yami rubbed soothing circles along Yuugi's back, but they did nothing to soothe his pain. In fact, the longer he rubbed his back, the more pain Yuugi began to feel as though someone where grating sandpaper over his tender flesh. The small teen let out a soft cry and Yami withdrew his hand.

Yuugi raised his head to apologize, but when he opened his eyes, he came face to face with the bloody, mutilated face of the girl. Screaming, Yuugi leapt from the couch only to get tangled in the mess of blankets and fall onto the floor. The girl watched him, the skin of her face hanging off her bones with blood dripping onto the dark floors and cartilage shimmering in the blue lights. Glass shards littered her hair which was stained red and cut in random chunks.

She reached a hand out towards Yuugi, and when he felt her grab the blanket, he screamed and undid his cocoon. Now bare to the bitter air, his body felt like it was encased in ice; however, the drive to run from the bloodied girl was stronger and he began to crawl away.

Each step was agonizing. It felt like he was crawling over glass, and when he looked down, he found that he was. Broken pieces of mirror and vanity trailed across the floor and cut deep rivets into his hands and knees. Some of the glass stabbed into his skin and remained like blood-soaked diamonds. Tears pooled in his eyes when the pain and chill became too much and he collapsed, unable to move anymore.

His legs were too heavy, his hands hurt too much, his muscles refused to relax: he felt like a broken, wound spring. Nothing he did relaxed his limbs and it was beginning to get harder to lift his fingers. The cold was growing in his body. He already couldn't feel his hands and feet, now he was losing feeling in his legs and arms. Yuugi began to shake as his arms gave out and he fell face first in the shards of glass.

Hands gripped his shoulders with piercing claws and yanked his limp body off the floor. He wanted to cry out for help, but shards of glass trickled down his throat and threw him into a coughing fit. A deep baritone rung in his ears, but he couldn't make out what it was saying. He tried to block out the voice when its worried melody turned into vicious growls.

The door opened and hundreds of footsteps thundered into a room like a stampede of hungry tigers and he was their prey. They clawed at his arms and ripped his flesh, marring his skin and drawing deep rivers of blood. He let out a terrified cry as they continued to grip, dig, and tear his skin.

Their growls boomed in his ears and raged inside his brain. Some hummed as they feasted on his muscles and tendons while others began to fight over his flesh. Vicious fights broke out around him all the while he laid limp in the center of it all. Some tigers lapped at his pools of blood or chewed on his exposed bones. Then there were those who gnawed on his legs.

Yuugi's tears fell silently. He couldn't find his voice, but he was sure that it had been clawed to death. It sure felt like it. Pain rippled through his body until it was all he could think about. He could feel every tooth that sunk into his flesh and he could feel each tendon as it was snapped like a guitar string. Each drop of blood that left his body made him feel like a dried up well. Pain. White hot pain. Mind breaking, skin searing, unavoidable pain.

A low rumble was his only warning before a large set of jaws clamped over his head. The pearly white, razor-sharp teeth reflecting off of the red lights was the last bit of light he saw before he was encompassed in darkness.

His mind felt like it was ripped from its body and thrown onto a fire. The pain was more than physical this time: it was mental and emotional. The growls and snarls mixed with the ferocious fights were becoming distant; however, the sounds would waver. One second it would sound rooms away only to have it blaring in his ear the next. The whiplash it gave him was suffocating.

He couldn't breathe and he felt smothered in heat. It was boiling- scorching even- until all of a sudden-

It stopped.

The growls and ripping flesh was gone and instead were replaced by heavy breathing. The insufferable heat had dropped into a frigid chill that nearly froze his body solid. The pain, however, the pain still lingered. Albeit, it was numbed, but on his legs, the pain was fresh and fierce. Each shiver that shook his body or every tense of his muscles in order to fight off the cold was akin to an electric shock through his body, stemming from his legs.

"I don't think ….we'll be able…. to do that again..."

"Then what…. are we…. supposed to do….. if he falls back?"

"... Wait…. and pray…. to Mira that…. he wakes up on his….. on his own…"

The voices were soft and huffing for air, but Yuugi heard them. A soft wave of calm washed over him and he curled closer to the soothing baritone that made his heart slow from its race. Pain surged from his legs at the action, and Yuugi shrieked in agony. His hands wrapped around himself, and his fingers graced against a soft material. Not remembering what it was, but grateful for the comfort it provided, Yuugi gripped onto the fabric and wept on the floor.

"Yuugi," the voice was feminine, "Yuugi are you with us? Can you open your eyes? What's wrong?"

"Easy, Mana. We can't risk losing him," a masculine voice, but it didn't comfort him as much as….

"Yuugi," the soothing voice cooed while a hand pet his hair. The action helped ease his pain, but it felt heavy, "Open your eyes for me."

Yuugi whimpered but did as the voice asked, "Yami…" Yusei, Mana, and Yami all sighed and relaxed when he spoke, but the fear and sorrow were evident in their eyes, "It hurts…"

"What hurts?" Yami inquired.

"My legs. I don't want to move," Amethyst eyes scanned down to his perfectly intact legs. There was no sign of blood or cartilage anywhere.

Desperate crimson eyes looked at his legs before they rose up to worried brown and calculating blue. Yusei shook his head when their eyes lingered and Yami cursed under his breath.

"I'm sorry, Yuugi. I don't think there is anything we can do about that," Yami whispered while looking away.

"Yami, Yuugi," Mana drew both of their attention. Her eyes were wrought with sad emotions and dread plagued the air around her. She seemed to shake with the words she was holding back, "We think we found out what happened to Yuugi." The words were quiet as though she hadn't wanted them to hear.

A grim cloud settled over Yuugi, "What?"

Yusei lifted up an old leather book in his hands. The binding was weak and the pages looked stained, yet that frail, worn book looked like the grim reaper himself, "This was hidden in the Temple of Mira, forgotten in the other books. It-"

"Wait!" Yuugi jumped and groaned when the action made his legs move. Pain jolted up his body and he had to close his eyes and breath until the pain subsided. Yami was petting his hair, but Yuugi couldn't tell if it was helping or not. When the shock receded and became tolerable, Yuugi opened his eyes and searched the room, "Can we… go to another room? I-I don't want to be here."

"Is there something in this room?" Mana inquired while looking around for herself.

Skittish amethyst eyes tracked the shadows in the dying blue lights. Some of the gems would flicker, casting the room in darkness and revealing the brief figure of a sulking snake. It was waiting for them to forget about him in order for it to strike and kill. His massive body was already crushing the bed and wrapping around the edge of the room. If they didn't leave soon, they would all be trapped.

Yuugi inclined his head towards the glowing yellow eyes that lurked by the broken vanity, "The snake doesn't like us being here."

Yusei and Mana looked at the vanity, but Yami didn't question him; instead, he whispered a soft apology and scooped his lover's frail body into his arms. Yuugi cried out and tears pricked his eyes at the fresh surge of pain that gripped his body.

"We can go to my study, then. No one will bother us there."

Yuugi felt him moving closer to the snake's body. It hissed with each step that Yami took and he knew that its head was no poised by the door. Yami wouldn't be able to walk past it safely, nor would Mana. Its yellow eyes have been watching her since the moment she came into the room. Yusei, however, could. The snake would move its scaley body away from the Neko.

Yuugi felt the shift int he snakes energy as it was about to jump. His eyes watched in fright as it opened its jaws and made a lunge, "Yami stop!"

"What's wrong?" Doing as was told, Yami froze and the snake just missed him and coiled back by the door.

Yuugi's head spun, "Let Yusei go first. It doesn't like him."

A silent exchange passed between Yam and Yusei before the Neko nodded his head and walked towards the door. The snake hissed and tensed, but moved out of the way for the Royal Champion. When Yusei got to the door, he held it open for Yami and Mana. When they were in the hall and the door was closed, Yuugi visibly relaxed in Yami's embrace. They were safe for now.

The walk to the study was quiet and tense. Yuugi could hear their footsteps echo on the marble floors. He was trying to not focus on the softer footfalls that followed behind them.

"There he is! Hi Yuugi!"

Yuugi turned away from Yami's chest to look down the hall where seven tiny figures were running towards them. Pain raced in his system and he gripped onto Yami's shirt as his body shook. Their footsteps were loud for their tiny bodies and their hollow eyes bore into his soul.

"The King is here too!"

"And the Royal Champion!"

The little bodies stopped and bowed in front of the group. Yuugi couldn't stop staring at the empty eyes sockets and the face-splitting smiles that crept on each and every face. Their giggles promised sorrow and pain.

"Excuse us, but Yuugi is not in a good mood to play in today," Yami spoke and squeezed Yuugi in reassurance.

"Is he sick?"

"Mama told us that he passed out at the ball-"

"And he was acting weird when he helped us put together the silverware-"

"But we thought he was getting getter-"

"Is he okay?"

"Will he be able to play with us later today?"

"Why does he look so scared?"

They crowed around Yuugi and watched him with their empty eyes. He could see their sharp teeth glistening in the blue lights of the hall. He began to shake more when one reached out to touch him. He yelped and hide his face in Yami's chest. He didn't want to look at them. He didn't want to watch them rip his flesh and eat his soul. He didn't want to watch them tear his friends into pieces and make him hear their cries.

"Kalo, back up, you're scaring him."

"But he looked scared, Kora. I just wanted to help."

Yami whispered soft words to Yuugi in order to calm him down. When the youth's grip on his shirt lessened, Yami turned his attention back to the seven figures, "Yuugi is very ill right now. Perhaps you'll be able to see him in a few days."

"But what's wrong with him?"

"Can we do something to help?"

"Have you tried our Mama's medicine? That always helps us."

"Maybe Dad could help you. He knows a lot."

"Can we help?"

"Yuugi is our friend. Please, let us help?"

"We wanted to play with Yuugi today."

Yuugi hiccuped, "Make them stop," he whimpered so only Yami could hear it. Their shrill voices were scrapping against his ears like nails on a chalkboard. Each voice that chimed in tossed his thoughts in the air and crashed them down on the floor. Even though he wasn't looking at them, their soul-less stares bore into his soul and squirmed into his thoughts.

"Excuse us. We're going to help Yuugi right now, then maybe you can see him later, but for now," Yami tried to step past them, but some blocked his path.

"Can we come with you?"

"We get sick all the time, so we can help."

"We can also keep him company!"

"Yeah! If we can make him happy, then he will get better, right?"

"Please, please, please, Mr. King, let us come with you?"

"Kalo, Kore, Kley, don't bother them."

"Kelst is, right. Kannon and Khloe, move out of their way. We need to leave."

"But Kora, we've waited so long to see him…"

Tears slipped past closed eyelids and soaked into Yami's shirt. Yuugi's hold on him tightened as he tried to hide within his strong chest. He could see them. He could see them behind his closed eyelids. Their empty eye sockets, their razor teeth, their clawed hands, their tiny bodies, it was all there. They wanted him and reached out for him. They would drag them all down if they stayed any longer.

Yuugi lifted his head from its hiding place and he opened his eyes, fully intent on yelling at the demons to leave them alone, but he didn't; instead, his voice caught in his throat when he saw Yusei kneeling in front of the small group. His ears were low and his tail was flicking in uncertainty.

"Yuugi is too sick to play with right now, and he won't get better for a while, so how about this," the kids quieted down, their attention solely on him, "If I tell you a secret, will you let us pass so that Yuugi can get better?" they all nodded their heads, "You won't be able to tell anybody this, alright?"

"We won't," they chimed while their tiny bodies bounced in excitement.

Yusei nodded before standing back to his full height. Yuugi couldn't tell if his eyes were closed or if he was muttering some sort of spell, but the little demons were watching with rapt attention. Slowly, Yusei's body began to shrink and his clothes began to shift from fabric to black fur. His ears and tail began more prominent and his bone structure was changing to one of an animal. One blink later, and instead of the proud Neko standing in front of them, a small, blue-eyed, black cat sat on the ground.

Everyone except Yami and Mana screamed.

"I-It's that cat from before!"

"You're the one that scratched Yuugi!"

"This is so cool!"

"I didn't know you could do that!"

"We got to hang out with the Royal Champion for a day!"

"You're not so scary when I know who you are."

"You're so cute."

Mana stood beside Yusei, "Alright, now go on, and remember: you can't tell anyone."

They nodded their heads before slowly turning around and running down the hall.

"Get well, Yuugi!"

"We'll play next time!"

"We promise not to tell!"

"Bye!

Yuugi wasn't watching them. His unblinking, disbelieving gaze, was glued to the small body that had been plaguing his thoughts and bringing him terror. That small body. That small _cat_ was Yusei. Were they all Yusei? Could he multiply or change his size? Why would Yusei torment him so? Could Yusei turn wood into water? Was this just another hallucination?

Those piercing blue eyes turned and looked straight at him. Yuugi screamed and tried to run away, but the pain in his legs and Yami's arms kept him from succeeding; instead, he settled for shaking uncontrollably in Yami's arms as he cried in fear and pain.

"Yuugi, what's wrong? It's just Yusei. He's not going to hurt you," Mana comforted.

Yuugi shook his head and closed his eyes, "No! No, it's not! That's not Yusei! It can't be! That _thing_ has followed me day and night, tormenting me! It tried to kill Kalo and his siblings! It tried to kill me!"

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Yuugi, it's okay," Yami soothed by running his fingers through Yuugi's hair. The distraught teen continued to cry and refuse to open his eyes.

There was a soft weight that landed on his lap, and when he opened his eyes, he came face to face with the blue-eyed creature. Its eyes were soft and caring, no hint of malice swimming in their depths. Still, being so close to the demon brought on a new wave of tears.

The cat padded closer to his face before rubbing its face against his hand. Its fur was soft and silken, but at the same time, he could feel each fur prick his finger and pass over his skin. While it was soft, it was rough and coarse, giving it the realism that he needed. It was the same feeling he got when he touched Yusei's ears awhile ago.

Yuugi took a shuddering breath and opened his eyes, "B-but, you can't…. There were more…. Were were huge, you….." he hiccuped, "No one _saw_ you…"

Yusei jumped off his lap and changed back to normal, "Those weren't me, Yuugi. In your illness, your brain needed a way to cope with what was going on with you and so latched onto the image of me as a cat. I'm not sure why, but that grew and took on its own persona as your illness progressed, but I assure you, those were not me."

A wicked laugh filled the hall and Yuugi watched petrified as he looked over Yami's shoulder into the shadows of the hallway behind them. A smirking pair of blue eyes began to stalk towards him, and though Yuugi couldn't see its body, he knew exactly what it was, "L-let's get to the study, please."

Without asking any more questions, the group finished their journey to the study and to their luck, they had no more interruptions. Once inside, Yami sat down with Yuugi on the couch while Yusei leaned against the nearby bookcase. Mana's nerves seemed to be getting to her, so she opted for pacing the floor in front of the desk.

"What did you find?" Yami asked, looking towards Yusei who was fiddling with the book in his hands.

"It was hidden in the Temple of Mira's archives. It was hard to get to, but I was able to convince them," Yusei elaborated.

"What does it say?" Yami prompted.

Yusei turned his head away and let his bangs shadow his eyes, "It's a dark part of Lelanian history: one that many have forgotten and would rather forget." His words placed a heavy weight of seriousness tot he room.

A stifled hiccup drew the attention to Mana who had stopped her pacing. She was covering his mouth with her hands while her petrified eyes locked onto Yuugi.

Yami stiffened, "Just say it, Yusei. Don't stall." The hesitance in his voice was as clear as day.

When Yusei looked back at Yami, a broken sadness lingered in his blue eyes, "We can't cure Yuugi."

"What?" Yuugi gasped.

Mana let out a distraught wail, "It's not fair! It's not right! He doesn't deserve this!" Her brown eyes were streaming with tears, "I can't lose you too…"

A dark cloud gripped Yuugi in its cold embrace, seeping him to the very core with its somber tone. His body froze and his mind stopped. His breath caught in his throat while his eyes stared frightened at the crying Cairainian in the corner. Over and over again, Mana and Yusei's words rung in his head, yet he tried to refuse them. He could be saved: there was always a way.

"Yusei," Pleading amethyst eyes latched onto grieving blue, "What's wrong with me? Why can't I be cured?"

The Neko's ears flickered back and his tail swished in turmoil. The longer they stared at one another, the more intense his tail flicked, but his ears eventually drooped down, "It's the glorean. Their poison has infected you, are your body can't fight back."

Yami shook his head, "But you, me, Atemu and even half of the Lelanian population have been infected with the glorean before and most of us survived. What makes this so different?"

"The only survivors in that attack were part Lelanian," Mana continued while her grim brown eyes befell Yuugi, " _He_ is completely human."

"Abur was right in what she told us," Yusei quipped as he flicked open the book, "Mira's gift was not a home, it was protection. Back when she blessed the first Queen of Lelania, she didn't dilute the effects of glorean in Lelanian, she gave Lelanian's the ability to withstand the plant's powerful toxins." He then held out the book to Yami who took it and began reading the pages.

While Yami read, Mana began to explain, "Back in the early days of Lelanina, before the law was instigated, there were countless humans that had been able to come to live in Lelania; however, they all grew very sick," her voice began to tighten and she needed to take a few calming breaths before continuing, "They would hallucinate and have dizzy spells and random bouts of sickness. There were countless humans who went insane because of the glorean before a priestess made the connection and created the that is happening with Yuugi, has happened to them."

The more Yami read, the more twisted his expression became. Skepticism and disbelieve turned into helplessness and rage. The energy around Yamy changed and Yuugi tried to curl away from it, but the effort was too much and caused to much pain. Crimson flickered to Yuugi and back to the book. Part of Yuugi was tempted to ask what it said, but he was too terrified to even ask. Part of him didn't want to know what was going to become of him

Yami growled and finally snapped the book closed. His hands were shaking, "There has to be a cure. Other pure-blooded outsiders have come here and been cured fo the glorean; what makes Yuugi different?"

"It's his human blood," Yusei explained, "It's true that other types of blood have been able to be cleaned of the glorean's poison, albeit with several side effects, but humans are not accustomed to such magical or ethereal objects. The glorean does more than simply infect his bloodstream: it warps the very fabric of his being."

Yuugi slowly began to quiver and his grim curiosity became too much, "What's going to happen to me?"

Beside him, Yami grew frigid. His jaw clicked shut and his hands curled so hard that shook. His muscles popped with the strain being imposed on them while his teeth ground together. His head was bowed so that his bangs shadowed his eyes. His body was hunched over and he was bracing himself on his knees.

Yusei looked away from Yuugi, "Your mind will continue to deteriorate until there is nothing left. You will likely die in a few weeks if your brain doesn't make you do something rash first."

"No!" Yami shouted, startling all in the room as he stood up from the couch. A raging firey burning in his gaze, "There has to be away. There must be a cure."

Yusei shook his head, "There isn't, Yuugi is going to die, Yami, and there is nothing that we can do to stop it."

"You're lying!" Yami snapped. Anger rolled off him in waves. Mana cried harder and Yusei stared blankly at his friend, his blue eyes cold and hardened to the wild fury being thrown at him. When the Neko said nothing, Yami turned to Mana who shrunk beneath his glare, "You both have to be lying. How can we heal him?!"

Mana shook her head, "Yami please-" She reached out a hand to comfort him, but he recoiled.

"If you're not going to help me, then get out of my way! There is no way in Hell that I'm going to let Yuugi die. Never!"

Mana scurried to the other side of the room as Yami stormed out of the study. His agitation lashed out at the three occupants and thickened the tense air. Only when he slammed the door shut did the air loosen, but the dark aura hung over them, still, like a bad omen.

Yuugi wrapped his arms around his body and gripped the scarf in a vice grip. There was a chill, colder than the grave, that struck deep inside of him and he swore that he could feel Death waiting on the other side of the door. Now with Yami gone, he felt bare to the threat outside. There was no warmth left for him to hide next to, or a support to lean on. With Yami gone, he only had himself for protection.

He was going to die. He was going to die, and there was nothing that they could do. There was no cure for this poison, and even though Yami refused to believe, Yuugi could tell deep down that his time was finite. He was going to die in this strange and beautiful land to an exotic and deadly plant. He was going to die in this new world before he could truly call it home.

Yuugi chocked. Home. He wasn't going to be able to go home. He was going to die before he got back to Earth or explain to all his loved ones where he went. Jonouchi would never understand why he disappeared. Anzu would never be at rest with his missing presence. His mother would never know why she was suddenly abandoned by her only son. Never again would he get to bask in their love and company, nor would he be able to hear their voices or stories. All they would get was an incomplete story and a lifetime of unanswered questions.

Yuugi hiccupped and allowed his tears to fall. He would never be able to go back to school, or grow old, or even feel the sun's rays on his skin. Never again could he bask in the summer warmth, frolic in autumn's leaves, roll in the winter snow, or splash in spring showers. Gone was his chance to find his missing father and catch up on lost time. His time to make memories with new friends and family was cut short, and Yami…. He would never get to spend as much time with Yami as he wanted to.

His body caved in on itself as his loud wails echoed in his ears. He wanted to spend days on end with Yami. Talk into the early hours of the morning with him, bask in late night love with him, laugh with him, cherish him, show him all that he deserved for all eternity. Now, their time was cut short and tarnished. Their love was strained at best at this time and now it was coming to a halt. Yuugi would always love Yami, no matter what, but their time to be together and do all the things that other couples were able to do was ending. There wasn't enough time to do all that he wanted.

Yuugi ignored the freezing arms that wrapped around him. While part of him felt the comfort that the embrace offered, the other part of him was terrified at letting himself be caught. He had wanted to finish high school, go to college, travel, marry, have kids, live a happy life, but now that chance was gone. All those early mornings when he didn't want to wake up and start the day was wasted time. All those silent meals with his mother at the table were lost conversations. All those fawning looks that he gave Yami back in school was squandered time that they could have spent together. All his hopes and dreams were coming to a screeching halt, and there was nothing he could do.

Yuugi could hear more cries join in his own distraught symphony, but they cried for a different reason. While he cried at the loss of his life, they cried at the loss of their meal.

(Koobre: Just to let you know, there are only two more chapters left in this story. After this, I'm going to re-vamp my story _Darkened Eyes_ , but before that, I'm going to finish this story. In the meantime, I have a question for you all: do you prefer long chapters or short shapters?)


	9. Chapter 9

**Ch 9 Two Birds and a Stone**

It was rainy.

The pitter patter of rain on the window was gentle, yet hollow, and the constant drawl from the downpour was white noise to his ears. The room was dark, but not threatening. The sound was steady, but not irritating. Everything felt real, but it was all empty.

Yuugi slowly creaked his eyes open to take in the dark surroundings. The room looked bland. Blue walls, small, square, simple furniture, with a thin, pale blanket covering himself and the twin-sized bed. The smell was off as though his mind was fighting with his nose. The room held a crispness akin to water that didn't match the musky visual aspects of the room; moreover, the room felt cold. Instead of the warm inviting feeling that the room was supposed to have, it felt cold and foreign.

Turning his eyes to the single window -a skylight on his slanted roof- he could see the rush of water on its smooth surface. Never before had the phenomenon looked so dead and grey.

"Yuugi? Honey, if you don't wake up, you're going to be late." His mother's soft voice drifted into the room.

Yuugi groaned and went to roll out of bed when a shooting pain forced him to stop. It stemmed from his legs and shot like bolts of lightning through the rest of his body. After a few seconds of lying still, the pain subsided, but his breathing was still heavy. The door to his room creaked open.

"Yuugi, is something wrong?"

Yuugi took a deep breath, "I don't know why, but my legs really hurt. I-I don't think I can go to school today."

His mother dismissed him with a wave of her hand, "Don't worry about it. I'm sure with some painkillers and Jonouchi's help, you'll be able to get around."

She placed her hand in front of his face and Yuugi noticed two pills resting in her palm. He swallowed the medicine dry without question and immediately felt their effects. Hesitantly, Yuugi tested his legs. Numbed pain still set his limbs on fire, but it was barely at a good enough level that he could handle, albeit, not for long.

Offering up a weak nod and a shallow smile, Yuugi crawled out of the cotton sheets and tried to stand. His knees buckled and he ended up falling to the floor: a dulled pain throbbed through his legs. Yuugi took a few breaths to calm himself before he tried to stand once more only to end up with the same results. Biting his lip as some of the pain peaked through the pill's relief, Yuugi decided that it would just be better to crawl if he wanted to move; however, before he could leave his room, a hand placed itself on his shoulder.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Jonouchi smiled.

Yuugi offered a half-smile as he tried to ignore his own discomfort, "It's just my legs. Do you think you can help me get around school?"

With little effort, Jonouchi turned and knelt on the floor so Yuugi could crawl on to his back, "No problem."

Yuugi smiled as his blonde friend led them out of the room and began to walk down the hall. As they were walking, Yuugi noticed that Jonouchi was hugging the left side of the hall, almost to the point that they were touching it, but discarded the thought. Who was he to judge if his friend wanted to spice things up a bit?

Yuugi could hear muffling in the walls. It was quiet at first, as though it were being filtered through water, but the longer they walked, the clearer the voices became. Hiding his face in his friend's neck, Yuugi closed his eyes and focused on whoever was speaking behind the walls.

"There isn't another way."

"Are you fucking kidding me? All of the books and nothing mentions a cure."

"This is the only cure that we can give him. It would be best to just end his suffering now before he kills himself."

"No! I won't!"

The distressed voices sunk in his stomach like a heavy weight. He didn't recognize the voices, nor did he fully understand what they were talking about, but it brought a grim cloud over him nonetheless. He didn't want to listen to those voices anymore. They made his heart ache.

Looking up from his hiding spot, Yuugi noticed that they were in the school building, but it looked off. All the students that passed by looked fuzzy. None of the lines were crisp and clean and the colors began to blend together at the edges. Despite the merging colors, Yuugi could make out the shape of his female friend by the lockers.

"Hi, Anzu," Yuugi greeted as soon as they were close enough.

"Hi, Yuugi," her face dropped when she noticed their positions, "What are you doing?"

Jonouchi was the one to answer, "His legs were hurting so I decided to help him get around today. You know, kind of like how Valon helped you walk around after you two banged."

"Jonouchi!" both Anzu and Yuugi exclaimed, their faces going red as a cherry.

Ther blonde friend snickered, "You two are easy to mess with."

"It's not something that you should just start talking about," Anzu snapped as her blush tamed.

Honey-eyes widened in mock offense, "What? Everyone else does it, heck, I'm sure those two are heading to the closet right now," he added a nod of his head to somewhere down the hall.

Following the inclination, amethyst eyes landed on a boyfriend and girlfriend making-out against some of the lockers. Slowly, but surely, they were inching their way along the wall, down towards where the infamous janitor's closet was. Yuugi's nose wrinkled up at the thought all while a warm feeling bloomed in his stomach.

He knew what they were doing, and he knew it felt good, but how did he know? It's wasn't as though he had had sex with anyone before. The longer he thought on it, the stronger the feeling grew until he could feel something tugging at his brain. It was soft but persistent, like a name that wanted to be known but kept slipping away like smoke. He gave up on the thought when pain pulsed through his skull.

Sometime in his thoughts, Jonouchi began to strut over to class, once again keeping precariously close to the lockers. He and Anzu were chatting about Valon and, assuming from the furious blush across Anzu's nose, she wasn't too keen on it. Yuugi rolled his eyes and listened to their banter, content with his two friends presence. That was until they passed by a classroom door, Yuugi caught wind of another conversation.

"You can't keep letting this happen."

"..."

"He deserves better than this and you know it."

"..."

"... I've thought of a way that-"

"Don't."

"It's a simple method-"

"Stop."

"It won't hurt him-"

"Shut up!"

Before Yuugi could hear any more, Jonouchi had sat him down in a chair and the class started. He wasn't paying attention to anything that the teacher said, no matter how hard he tried. It was as if his mind was jumbled and he couldn't focus on any of the words that were spoken. All syllables were muffled and the words were so light that they flew in one ear and out the other. It didn't matter, though, he had other problems to worry about.

There was something tickling the back of his mind and it stole all of his attention. Like an itch you can't scratch, or a reminder you can't remember, it bugged Yuugi like a pesky mosquito. Did he forget to open the shop? No, it was a weekday so the shop was closed. Maybe Mr. Kai was going to come over today. No, he never paid any of his mother's boyfriends any mind. Maybe Anzu invited him to hang out that afternoon. That could be it: she always did like to seize a perfect day.

A clap of thunder brought his attention to the pouring rain outside. That was right: it was raining. If that was so, then Anzu always preferred to watch a movie with her boyfriend, so it couldn't have been her.

The pattering of rain along the window was the only sound that could soothe an oncoming headache. Truly, the melodic sound was a beautiful lullaby that could wash away all of his worries; that was, however, if there wasn't that underlying discord amongst the thunder.

Albeit subtle, the haunting presence that lingered in the rain was enough to keep him on edge, reaping him from true relaxation. This rain wasn't normal: it wasn't as alive as it should have been. Each drop didn't hold the drip of life that water was supposed to hold, nor did it carry the healing abilities of water; instead, it was plain, ordinary, vacant. It no longer held substance and it could be easily blown away as if it were dust in the wind.

A dull ring sounded in his ear which grew louder and louder. Soon, the incessant noise was just loud enough to drown out the rain and steal his attention. It was then, hidden in the ringing, that he heard the voices again.

"You can't keep him like this."

"I won't: we'll heal him."

"Yami, I implore you to see reason, not as a Royal Champion, but as your friend. You need to put him out of this misery."

"You want to end him without giving him a chance."

"He has no chance! This is incurable and you know it. The longer he stays like this the more likely he is to hurt himself and others"

Yuugi shivered and put his hands over his ears to try and stop the ringing. His legs were starting to throb and his head pulsed in pain. Something wanted to get out and become known, but he repressed it back into his thoughts. Whatever it was brought a chill colder than death and with it an onslaught of agony that wanted to consume his body. If knowing the truth behind the thought would cause him so much pain, then he didn't want to know.

There was a tap on his shoulder and the ringing stopped, "Are you okay, Yuugi?"

When Yuugi opened his eyes, he came face to face with concerned azure. Anzu stood beside his desk, a hand on his shoulder, and her brows furrowed in worry. Behind her stood Valon and Jonouchi, but their concern was on chatting with each other.

He lowered his shaking hands and put up his best smile, "Yeah, my head just hurts a bit."

Her face held firm in its concern, "There's something else isn't there?"

Yuugi looked back at his hands, "It's nothing important," when he looked back up at her, they were in the lunch room. It was crowded, just like he remembered and his face showed his displeasure. Had it not been raining, he was sure that they would have eaten outside.

"You can talk to me, you know. You don't have to hide it," Anzu prompted.

Yuugi shook his head and his face fell as he stared down at his shaking hands, "It's more that… I don't know what the problem is," forcing a smile, Yuugi turned to his friend, "If I figure it out, I'll tell you."

That seemed to be enough of an answer because Anzu nodded her head and turned to Valon who was finished with his argument with Jonouchi. The blonde huffed and moved to sit on the other side of Yuugi who was staring at his cat-shaped bento box. Beside him, Jonouchi began chatting, but Yuugi wasn't paying attention; instead, he began to eat his lunch, consumed by his own thoughts.

The nagging feeling that something was missing was beginning to knaw on his nerves the longer he tried to suppress it. Part of him wanted to figure it out, but every time he lingered on the thought, he swore that the shadows would darken and slink closer. The room would turn bitter and cold as though one had unleashed a winter wind. It wouldn't be until he dismissed the thought that everything would go back to normal and the pain would dumb down.

Everyone was moving around in a whirl of color and a kaleidoscope of movement. It was dizzying to watch, so Yuugi kept his head down through his classes. Jonouchi would carry him to the next room as his legs still refused to work, but no one seemed to bother them about it. In fact, the only weird thing that kept happening was that his blonde friend would still walk in weird patterns; for example, they would be traveling down a long hallway when his friend would abruptly turn, cross to the other side, and walk so close to the wall that they were always in contact.

Yuugi would question him about it only for the other to brush it off with a simple 'I feel like it'. He would have stopped wondering about it had it not been for the fact that Yuugi had reached out his hand once out of curiosity and hit an invisible wall. There were no people, rooms, or walls in the way that could block his hand, yet no matter how hard he pushed against the force, his arm could not fully extend.

What was more peculiar was that it happened in more than one area. He would reach out his hand when they were walking to class and he would run into more resistance. Sometimes, if he followed it, the resistance would turn or disappear and he was allowed to move where he couldn't before, but it was unpredictable.

Along with the invisible walls and the nagging feeling that he was forgetting something, Yuugi was beginning to hear his name called only to have no one there. The calls were panicked, desperate to get his attention, but no matter how hard he looked, he could never find its source. Every time he asked Anzu and Jonouchi, they would shrug their shoulders and say they hadn't heard anything. He would have followed their lead had the insistent voices given up, but they didn't. Sometimes they were a whisper and sometimes they were a yell. Some were male, other's were female. Some were terrified, desperate, grieving, tearful, angry, hopeless, and the longer they went on, the more they sat in his stomach like rocks in a well.

Yuugi was a mess by the time the last class came around. Everything, for the most part, looked normal and felt like it should be normal, yet nothing was. The students and teachers acted the same, but the energy felt off. The rain looked the same, but the feeling and sound were off. The halls and classrooms had invisible barriers and omnipotent voices seemed to linger around every corner. Time seemed to slip by without him even realizing it and he was too caught up in his thoughts, pushing and fighting against this nagging feeling, to even bother dealing with the normalities of school. All he wanted to do was go home, sleep, and forget it all happened.

He was busy tapping his pencil on the desk, watching the melancholy rain when it happened.

A pain more severe than anything he had ever felt before tore his soul.

Ripped his brain.

Scarred his body.

Tortured his mind.

Left him helpless.

Yuugi doubled over in the sensation that took over his body. It was all he could focus on and nothing else; not the rain outside, the hands on his person, or the flurry of people around him could tear his mind away from the scorching pain. What was worse was that the longer he thought on it, the worse it became. He was fighting against it, doing anything in his power to make it stop, but that only made it worse. Oh so much worse.

There was screaming around him, but he couldn't tell from where. Desperate pleas and cries sounded like sirens in his ears, their desperation and fear saturated his mind, yet the words were muffled and lost in the throws of pain that wracked his body.

There were even more voices that assaulted his overwhelmed senses. They were less frantic and more steady than the mournful cries in the distant, but they were still blurred in his ears.

There were hands on him, shifting him out of the chair and making his skin burn at the contact. Whimpers and cries of pain left Yuugi as each movement was a fresh stab at his flesh.

The sound of thundering feet mingled with the chorus of voices and aided in the pounding against Yuugi's skull. Whatever was inside him, whatever he had been repressing, was banging against his conscious now and fought tooth and nail to be remembered. This pain… it was so familiar; however, he didn't want to know from where, so he fought against its thrashing.

Through the pain, Yuugi fought against whatever tried to get out. He pushed down the thoughts that bashed on his skull and tore at his brain. The familiarity, the screams, the anguish, the pain, the sting, the cries, he fought against them all. He didn't want to know. He didn't want to know!

As if it heard him, the pain began to diminish. Slowly, yet in the blink of an eye, all the pain, voices, and torment was gone, leaving him a heaving, sweaty mess atop a grey cotton sheet. The room was silent save for the hushed voices outside of the door. It gave him a chance to breathe.

Taking a shuddering breath Yuugi turned his head and his cheek met the firm, white pillow. As he looked about the room, he took in the plain walls, the standard medical equipment, the other empty bed, medical posters, and sanitized scent in the air: he was in the nurse's office.

He didn't have to wait long until the wooden door opened.

"Yuugi!" Anzu burst through the door and raced over to his bed. The speed of her movement was enough to make Yuugi dizzy, and he was thankful when she didn't touch him or sit down, "Are you okay?"

It seemed like he was being asked that a lot. Was he okay? Could he hear them? Did he know what was going on? Did he hurt? Was something wrong? When would he tell them that he didn't know any of those answers?

"Hey, you really freaked us out back there. You turned white and started crying," Jonouchi explained as he stood beside Anzu, "We tried to ask what happened, but you wouldn't answer."

Yuugi squeezed his eyes shut against the harsh school lights, "I-I don't…."

There was still another person in the room. The click of her heels echoed harshly in his ears as she neared the bed, " Mr. Motou, the school is going to call your mother so that she can come pick you up. It would not be wise for you to go back to class in your condition," the nurse explained before clicking her way over to her chair and sat down, " Ms. Myzaki, Mr. Katsuya, it would be best if you both went back to class. I will watch over Mr. Motou now."

"But-" Jonouchi started to refute, but Anzu cut him off.

"Alright Mrs. Inam," her blue eyes glanced back at Yuugi and he could see her hesitance. She didn't want to leave until he was better, but neither would be able to stay. She finally turned her head towards the door, "Come on, Jonouchi."

The blonde refused at first, but he didn't fight back when Anzu grabbed his wrist and dragged him out. Yuugi watched with sorrow as his friends left him alone in the room. Even the nurse followed soon after them, presumably to do the next bit of her work. Being left in the room, Yuugi couldn't help the sense of abandonment that overcame him.

Should he have asked for his friends to stay? Would they have been able to? Why did the nurse leave? Did she think he was faking his pain? Why was there no one else here? When would his mother arrive? Would she come? Would her boyfriend be with her?

Each question felt like a cold jab to his heart. He didn't want to be left alone in this room without anyone who cared for him. He was already so confused about the things happening to him -what this pain was, what the voices were, why he couldn't go to some places- Yuugi wasn't sure if he would be able to handle them on his own.

The thundering storm brought his attention over to the window where the raindrops were covering the glass in a wavering waterfall. The grey image of the buildings and trees outside was obscured and warped through the filter of rain, and even though he could see the lights of distant windows and colorful blobs as car and people walked by, there was only one word that came to mind as he watched it all.

Dead.

Dead.

DEAD.

Yuugi jumped at the knock on the door. Whoever it was didn't wait for him to call as they opened the door anyway and wandered inside.

"Yuugi, sweety," his mother greeted as she shut the door and scurried to his side. A wave of warmth washed over Yuugi as she laid a hand on his forehead, "The nurse said that you were escorted from class because you were in pain."

Yuugi hummed at the comfort that her presence brought. He cracked a small smile, "Hi, mom."

She looked flustered for a second, "Honey, this is serious. I'm worried about you. If this was all a joke-"

"No, mom!" Yuugi interrupted and she drew back her hand. Amethyst eyes ducked out of her gaze, "I don't quite know what happened. One minute I was fine, but the next," his words caught in his throat.

"Shh, shh, it's okay," She took a seat on the bed and offered a gentle smile. The two fell into a soft silence as they gazed into each other's eyes. Yuugi enjoyed the warmth and comfort that washed over him by being in his mother's presence; however, the longer she looked, the less Yuugi thought she felt the same. Her smile turned sour and the light in her eyes dulled. The mask on her face was held on by a thread while her thoughts raced through her eyes, too fast for him to decipher.

She opened her mouth only to close it. Then she sighed, "Yuugi, what's wrong?"

Amethyst eyes blinked, "Mom, I told you that I don't know."

She shook her head, "I'm not talking about what happened in class. Ever since this morning you've been," she took a second to sort her words, "different."

Yuugi's brows furrowed, "I don't feel different."

Her smile dropped and the mask she wore fell, but only for a second, "You have only ever lied to keep everyone else safe; however, I don't think you realize how much that hurts you in return."

Yuugi snapped his eyes away from his mother, "There have been… things that have happened today that are weird, but it's just an off day. Everyone has those," he tried to reason. Doubt was already settling in his heart.

Her smile was bittersweet, "Why don't you tell me about your day? It's always nice to tell someone else."

Yuugi took a deep breath and released it with a heavy sigh, "Alright," he closed his eyes, "It started this morning. I woke up and it was as if I woke up in a hotel. You know that feeling you get that you aren't home? That's what if felt like. Then, I couldn't move my legs. They hurt so much, and I still can't remember what I did to make them hurt so bad. It was fine for a while until…"

"Until?" his mother prodded.

Yuugi opened his eyes with a shuddering breath but he refused to look at his mother, "Until I heard the voices. They were okay at first, but then they became so angry and desperate," his throat tightened, "They sounded so hopeless and broken." Memories of the snippets of conversations floated into his memory. Their feelings were fresh as though he were hearing them for the first time and the words were crispt, not a single word was lost into obscurity. The voices stung his heart and eyes while his words caught in his throat.

Yuugi shook his head, pushing the memories away and cleared his throat, "I thought Jonouchi had been walking weird today, but then I noticed that I couldn't walk everywhere like there was an invisible wall. He would walk in random patterns, yet when I reached my hand out I would run into this boundary. He didn't seem to notice, but I couldn't stop wondering about it. Finally, I had that strange pain in class and I ended up here."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Yuugi."

The teen bit his lip and fiddled with the cotton blanket, keeping his eyes anywhere except his mother, "There has been this feeling, like I've been trying to remember something; however, everytime it gets close, everytime it's on the tip of my tongue, I just feel this wave of pain and sadness, so I just push it away," Yugi shrugged and hoped that his mother didn't hear how his voice rose in pitch.

He felt the weight of his mother shift before humming in thought, "I've never known you to give up on curiosity: don't you want to know what that is?"

Yuugi shook his head weakly, "Not if knowing is going to bring me all that pain. I would rather just not know. Ignorance is bliss."

"Now that doesn't sound like the Yuugi I know," she commented with a raised brow before sighing, "I have to admit, that is sometimes a great motto to live by, but it's never good to shy away from something because it will cause pain or because you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Yuugi defended.

"You're afraid of getting hurt," his mother countered. When Yuugi didn't respond, she sighed, "Why don't you tell me more about those voices you heard."

Pale hands gripped the comforter until his knuckles were white, "It sounded like they were having a pretty serious conversation and not a happy one. It was always the same two people that were talking: one of them sounded like they were trying to solve the situation while the other seemed to be in denial," Yuugi bit his lip as his next words stuck in his throat. His neck became tight and his efforts to mouth the words resulted in broken squeaks, "I think-" pressure behind his eye warned him of the oncoming tears, "I think someone is going to die."

His mother was silent, "Is that so bad?"

Yuugi choked as he finally turned to look at his mother and noticed she had her head bowed, "Of course it's bad! They both cared for this person, so much so that they were fighting over him! Something precious is going to be taken from them and there is nothing that can stop that!"

His mother lifted her head.

Yuugi felt tears slip down his cheeks.

Staring back at him were the broken, purple eyes of his mother, "I know, Honey. I, too, have felt that loss before."

Yuugi hiccuped, "But I don't want to know that loss, mom," he wiped away one of his tears with his sleeve, but more came, "I felt that pain in their voices and that pain in remembering. Isn't it better to just ignore it?"

His mother let out a bitter laugh, "Oh, Sweety," she reached out and cupped his face, "I don't think this is something that you can ignore."

"Sure I can," Yuugi took a second to breathe when his voice closed up. It hurt to look at her, "I can stay here. Then the pain will just go away."

"It's one thing to lie to those who love you," she shook his face gently as desperation shone in her eyes, "It's another to lie to yourself."

"Mom…" Yuugi begged. The pain was creeping back into his mind as more tears feel past amethyst eyes. He could hear the voices, muffled and distant, but filled with pain and fear. The rain outside thundered in his ears and soaked his soul in dread. His body felt heavy.

"Yuugi, my sweet, beautiful Yuugi," she kissed his forehead before pulling away completely. He tried to follow when all the heat left his body as she retreated. Each step she took towards the door felt like a drop in temperature until she had a hand on the handle and was a shivering mess on the bed.

"M-mom, w-w-where a-re y-y-you-"

She smiled, "Don't be afraid, Yuugi. No matter how much it hurts to find out, it's worse to never know at all," she twisted the knob and began to walk out. Yuugi called after her and begged for her return. Over and over, he reached, called, cried, begged for her to come back, to stay by his side, yet she ignored him. It was only when he fell out of bed that she stopped and looked at him with tear filled eyes. She smiled, but it was filled with sorrow, "I'll see you again, Yuugi. Just wait for me."

As the door clicked shut, the pain and the voices numbed. His eyes shifted from the bed behind him to the door in front of him. Every glance at the bed made the pain numb and his thoughts began to clear; on the other hand, every glance at the door brought forth the pain and voices that called out in desperation.

He could go back: he could lay in that bed, fall asleep, and pretend that this day never happened or, he could follow the voices, follow the pain, and find the truth. While his mother encouraged him to find the truth, he shied away from the torment that the truth brought. He didn't have to know, nor did he want to know, what the truth was. Some things are better left unsaid, and this was one of those times. It was okay not to know everything and it was okay to live his own peaceful life. There was nothing wrong with that. Absolutely nothing.

Yuugi began to drag himself towards the bed until he was able to grasp its cotton sheets. It would be so easy; the voices were only whispers. And yet….

Torn, amethyst eyes glanced back tot he door. Someone was crying. People were yelling. His heart ached for their broken hearts. Would it be bad if he found out? No. Would it hurt? Yes. He had already felt a similar loss but was lucky that his father left before his memory could preserve every detail. They had plenty of great times and the memories he had of his father were happy and untarnished by his passing. These people, these poor, grieving souls, they didn't get that liberty. They would remember every detail. Every smile, every fight, every laugh, every tear, every moment that they shared together before they were ripped away from each other. They would have no one to lean on except each other and their own broken, sobbing shoulders.

Maybe… maybe if he was there then he could shoulder some of that pain. Maybe… if they had someone new, they would have a distraction. Maybe… he could help them despite his own pain.

Yuugi's hand dropped from the bed as he turned back to the door. Then he began to crawl towards it.

The pain began to grow. At first, it was just the voices, louder and louder they grew, but their words were still frantic and jumbled. Their raw emotion was enough to make Yuugi think twice on his decision, but his mother's words rung in his ears.

" _Don't be afraid, Yuugi. No matter how much it hurts to find out, it's worse to never know at all."_

Along with the voices, the rain increased in volume until it was on him, pounding onto his skin and drenching his already heavy body. His arms felt like lead and his legs were dead weight behind him. Worst of all, the smooth tile floors warped and became rugged, stone. Each inch he progressed scrapped his skin through the fabric until he swore he felt blood.

"Yuugi!"

"Yuugi where are you?!"

"Yuugi please come back!"

The voices. They were coming from the door. They were just behind the door.

"He's up here!"

"Yuugi!"

"Yuugi, say something please!"

His hand was on the cold, wet doorknob and his body radiated pain. Tears coursed like a river down his cheeks, but the salty liquid mixed with the dull rain from above. He couldn't turn back now. He turned the handle.

"Hurry!"

"Yuugi?"

"YUUGI!"

The ground was gone. He couldn't feel it. All he could feel was the stabbing pain fading away like fog and the colors around him swirl. The bright lights of the school turned blue. The white halls where black, the sick smell of bleach and books was now sweet like syrup yet crisp as rain.

For a split second, that one split second, his body felt weightless and all his pain was gone. It was just him and the falling rain. Nothing else.

Then something caught his leg.

Gravity dragged his body down.

His aching limbs hit the black stone of the castle walls.

Frantic, gasping voices shouted orders.

He saw the ground already so far, far away disappear over the edge of a stone floor.

He was brought away from the edge and into shaking arms.

They were rocking.

"Yuugi, Yuugi, I'm so sorry. Great Goddess Mira, please don't take him. Don't take my Yuugi. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

Even through the cold, heavy rain, Yuugi could feel the warm tears of the other teen soaking into his hair. Yuugi blinked before his own eyes began to water with fresh tears. Slowly, so not to scare the already shaken man, Yuugi wrapped one arm around Yami's neck.

"It's okay, Yami. I'm here."

Yami didn't say anything, and when the king began to cry harder, Yuugi knew that he couldn't. His uneven breathing became hysterical and his wails and apologizes echoed over the pouring rain. Yuugi chanced a look around the tower. Yusei and Mana were there. They looked exhausted, shaken, and defeated as Mana bawled her own eyes out and Yusei watched with pure disdain.

Yuugi couldn't look at them anymore; instead, he buried his face in Yami's neck and clung to his lover for dear life. Quietly, so only Yami could hear, Yuugi whispered into his lover's ear.

The prince cried a heart-wrenching wail that all Lelanians heard.

"It's time to let me go."


	10. Chapter 10

**Ch 10 Sick Of Losing Soulmates**

It hurt to move the black ink across the page almost as much as it hurt to concentrate on the words he wanted to say. What were supposed to be elegant swoops and crisp lines were instead jagged and edgy, lacking any fluidity that a normal letter should have; however, this was the best that Yuugi could manage.

He couldn't tell if what he was writing actually made sense or if it was nothing but mindless dribble. Any attempt to re-read what he had written made his vision swim and he would lose his place, so he kept writing and hoped for the best. Even if the sentences were basic and uneven, he was determined to get something out. It was the least that they deserved.

Every other sentence or so, the teen had to drop the pen and breath in order to deal with the pain and settle the shivers. He was cold, his hands cramped, and nothing he could do seemed to ease the burn in his legs. Yusei offered him medicine to help ease the pain, but Yuugi turned down every one of them. There was no need to waste his supplies on a dying man anyways.

He had to focus and he had to finish: there was no time to waste. Even if each word was excruciating to write and his energy was so strained he felt like he could pass out, nothing compared to the thought of leaving more of his friends in the dark.

Taking a deep breath, Yuugi picked up the discarded pen and finished the last sentence. The message wasn't long and didn't even take up half of the page, but it was all he could manage. He wanted there to be more words, more stories, more apologies, but his mind couldn't handle any more than that.

The page rattled in his quivering hands as he picked it up, "F-finished."

Yami stood up from the couch and walked over to the vanity where Yuugi sat, taking the paper, "Do you want me to read this one over as well?"

At Yuugi's nod, the king sighed and read the crooked message. As he waited, Yuugi let his eyes wander over to the coffee table in front of the couch were a pile of previous drafts now lay. Each one he wrote, each one Yami proofread, and each one he had to start over. Names were wrong, encounters were wrong, and Yuugi had spent the last couple hours re-writing the same message over and over again; however, with each attempt he made, the more scattered his brain felt. One simply had to look at the drafts to see how tired he had been getting.

His first letter was neatly written with only a few stutters: it even took up the whole page; however, as more drafts were made, the more crooked the sentences became. The letters became sloppy and almost illegible. On top of that, the letters became shorter and shorter in length. Whole paragraphs were dropped and stories were lost, but Yuugi couldn't help it. He was already beginning to forget half the stories that he wrote.

Yami encouraged him to stop and enjoy what little time he had left as opposed to forcing himself to write, but Yuugi wanted to do this. He needed to say goodbye to those that he couldn't say goodbye to in person. He was tempted to write one to his family on Earth, but Yami told him that they would never receive the message, so Yuugi settled with writing to his only friends here: the kids.

Kent? No. Koala? No. Kurry? No. Ka…. Kal… kalahmari? No. Ka and his siblings were some of the few people that he was able to meet in Lelania, and the only people that he made true friends with. They were kooky and energetic and everything he wished he could spend more time with; however, fate had different plans for him. He knew that they deserved more than a letter as a goodbye, but Yuugi couldn't help it. His mind was beginning to fray and his memories were being warped: some of them were even disappearing.

He wasn't expecting the poison to act this fast: he was hoping that he would have a little more time. More time to spend with Kalvin and her sibling. More time to watch Mana dress strangers. More time to talk to Yusei. More time to eat strange food. More time to love Yami.

Yami. Yuugi's eyes began to water as he watched his lover read the words on the page. His elegant eyebrows where furrowed in concentration and his sharp, crimson eyes sped through the lines, interpreting Yuugi's message. While his face was emotionless and his eyes were dry, Yuugi could see the misting of tears in his crimson depths. He didn't deserve this. Yami didn't deserve this kind of loss, not after everything else he had been through.

Yuugi wanted to be here to help Yami through tough conversations with the council and organize events with the priests. He wanted to eat fancy meals together and pray when the rain blessed the land. He wanted to reminisce about Earth and create new memories. He wanted to stay up in the late hours talking about their day or staring into his beautiful eyes. He wanted to give Yami the wold and all the love he deserved, but now he couldn't.

Yami, this wonderful, elegant, intelligent person deserved someone who was just as unique and who could love him for all the prince was worth. Yuugi, more than anything in the world, wanted to be that person, but now he never will. Even now, in the last few hours of his life, Yuugi wanted nothing more than to love Yami and tell him just how special and important the prince was to him, but Yuugi didn't trust his mind anymore. He was afraid that the words he would say or the memories he remembered would be tarnished and far from the truth.

And Yuugi knew that would only hurt Yami more.

The elder teen sighed as he folded the paper, "This one should work."

Yuugi shivered and wrapped his arms around his chest, "A-are you going to r-re-write it?"

Yami opened his mouth and then closed it. After he looked away, he responded, "Only the names. Some of them are still wrong."

Yuugi knew that it was a lie, "H-hey, Yami," he waited until he had his lover's attention, "Come h-here."

Yami held firm by the couch before relenting and walking back towards Yuugi. He sat down on the opposite side of the bench, never losing eye contact. Yuugi offered a shaky smile, tilting his head as he glanced over Yami. Such a beautiful person who had gone through so much: he hated that he would be the next cause of pain for the young king.

The longer amethyst held crimson the harder it became for Yuugi to hold back his tears. His throat constricted and water blurred his vision while his hands fisted the fabric of his pants. He tried to control his shivering but couldn't. It wasn't long before his body began to spasm and the vanity creaked every time he bumped into it. Yami opened his mouth, his own eyes glimmering with unshed tears, before closing it and gathering Yuugi into his arms.

Yuugi gasped and hiccupped, his tears spilling over. Not wanting any space between him and his lover, Yuugi wrapped his arms around Yami's waist pulling the elder as close as he could. He didn't want this moment to end.

"I'm so sorry."

Yuugi curled closer to Yami, "Non-ne of it-t was your f-fault."

Yami let out a shuddering breath, "I-I could have tried to send you back. I could have made sure that you never followed me through the portal."

Yuugi shook his head. There was a scurry of movement near the bed, but Yuugi shut his eyes to block it out, "N-no, no, Yam-mi. I'm-m glad that-t I followed-d you. I'm ha-ppy to hav-ve known-n this-s place."

"This place killed you," Yami spat as his grip tightened.

Yuugi whimpered at the grip and Yami loosened his hands, "This-s pla-ce led m-me to y-you."

Yami's body dropped as he pulled back to look Yuugi in the eyes, "I don't want to lose you."

Yuugi hiccupped as he felt his tears fall faster, "I d-don't want-t to d-die."

Yami caved under the plea and brought Yuugi close as though he would hide him from the world. Yuugi relished in the little warmth that it provided and let his tears fall, not caring if he soaked Yami's shirt. When he felt drops fall on his head, he knew that the other didn't care either.

A loud splash sounded in the room, drawing Yuugi out of his safe embrace. A quick scan showed nothing out of the ordinary, but his body tensed as he still sensed danger. There was another splash, closer this time and he watched as a red liquid absorbed into the floor like a drop of rain in the ocean. That's when he heard the subtle growling and the heavy breath from above.

Not wanting to ruin the moment, Yuugi kept his face hidden in Yami's shoulder, clinging to his frame like a lifeline.

Yami placed a soft hand on the back of Yuugi's head, "We don't have to do this," he paused as his words caught in his throat, "We can try to find a way out of this. You don't have to die."

Yuugi shook his head and pulled back to look at Yami, "I d-don't want w-what happned-d yes-terday t-to happen ag-ain," he placed a quivering hand on Yami's tear-stained cheek, "At-t leas-t thi-s way y-you know-w that I-I w-will be sa-fe."

Yuugi watched as his lover's heart broke and the painful emotion twisted his face. It hurt, it hurt so much to know what Yami had to go through, but Yuugi had nothing else to offer him. At least if he died this way, Yami wouldn't have to worry about him accidentally killing himself. At least this way, Yami would know that he was safe and that it wouldn't be painful; hopefully, Yami would be able to move on and find a new love for himself.

They both jumped at the knock on the door.

"Yami, we're ready," Yusei's somber voice hung heavy in the room.

Crimson eyes flittered from the door then back to Yuugi. Only when the younger gave a soft nod did the king respond, "We'll meet you there."

There was a pause as the silence grew thick between them. No one breathed and no one moved until the sound of retreating footsteps carried away from the room. Yuugi released the breath he had been holding and slumped his shoulders. Pain twisted his heart as his chest constricted with the knowledge of what was going to happen. The gravity of the situation weighed on his shoulders and shackled his body to the seat. He didn't want to move.

Beside him, Yami shifted, preparing to stand up, but he stilled when he noticed Yuugi's frozen form. Crimson eyes dropped to the floor. Yuugi heard him take a shuddering breath before releasing it, any words that he wanted to say dying on his lips. When Yuugi felt a hand rest against his cheek, Yuugi rose his tearful gaze to Yami's painful expression. Unspoken words flashed in their eyes as fervent emotions fought to become known, but speech would never be enough to describe what they were feeling. Nothing they could say would take away this pain.

Yami leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Yuugi's forehead, "Together," he promised with a bitter smile.

Yuugi nodded and waited as Yami stood from the bench and lifted him into his arms. Pain from his legs shot up his spine like lightning bolts and shook his freezing body. Yuugi gasped as the sensation stung his muscles like pins and needles; luckily, Yami noticed and waited for his lover to calm down before moving to the door.

As they walked, Yuugi was aware of the increasing growls and snarls from above. More drops echoed in the silent room as the beast above watched its meal walk out the door. Even when Yami closed the door, Yuugi could hear its anger as it dropped and paced the vacant space. The click of its nails followed the pair down the hall and only became silent when they turned the corner.

Snuggling closer to Yami's chest, Yuugi let his fingers play with the fabric of the Atemu's scarf. Yuugi wondered if Yami would take it back once he died, but the longer he thought on it the more he didn't think the prince would. Yami knew it meant as much to yuugi as it did to Atemu. It was the only object that gave Yuugi warmth, real warmth. It wasn't brief, nor was it fleeting, but it was enough to make him feel secure. Yami must have felt the same way whenever he wore it. It must have felt like he always had Atemu close by even though he was gone.

Yuugi glided his fingers away from the scarf and onto Yami's chest. Already the little warmth he felt began to retreat. It felt like his warmth was being leeched from the very air around his shaking form, but no matter how close he got to Yami, there was no heat to be given. It was fleeting at most and vacant at least, leaving him desperate and perpetually shivering. His fingers recoiled when he ran into a damp spot on Yami's shirt near the shoulder.

"Yuugi…"

Said teen looked up to Yami. The elder looked so lost as his usually firey crimson dulled into a smoky maroon. Any life that remained was but a candle in the wind as he watched Yuugi quiver in his arms helpless to do anything. Once again, words failed Yami as he fought to keep his emotions under control and his tears hidden from the world.

Yuugi smiled up at his love, "Yami…"

"I…" Yami paused as his throat tightened, "I… I wish," he took a shuddering breath, "I wish that you knew how much you meant to me. I was ready to shut everyone out. I was ready to remain alone. I was ready to never feel this way again, but the moment I saw you," he offered a half-smile, "I-I knew that I wanted to share this feeling with you.

"Even though I told myself that you should never be with me: that you deserved someone who didn't have to hide their life from you, I still couldn't stop myself from caring. I was so frightened when you followed me to Lelania because there was nothing that I could do to save you. Then I was scared when we were captured by Abur and tortured because I wasn't able to protect you. Now," he had to look away in order to stop the tears that threatened to pour over. Crimson eyes slid shut as he continued, "Now, I am terrified because your life is being stolen and there is nothing I can do to heal you."

Yuugi tugged on Yami's shirt to grab his attention. He choked when Yami's puffy, red eyes focused their gaze on him. He took a deep breath, determined to get his message through, "Before I-I met you, I-I thought love was a fleeting thing th-at came and-d went. Never had-d I seen a love that w-was strong, pure, and true. I-It was always weak and fr-agile. When I-I saw you at school, I-I wanted to have that t-true love with you.

"Being with you h-has shown m-me so many beautiful things and I could never love another a-as much as I love you. I wish t-that I could kiss y-you goodnight and listen to you talk-k. I-I wish that I-I could watch you s-smile and cry. I wish t-that I could hold you e-every night and p-proove to you how s-special and loved-d you really are," Yuugi as his nose tingled and tears pooled on his lashes, "I-I wish I had time to show you how much I love you."

Yami came to a stop in order to rest their foreheads together. Both pairs of eyes closed as they relished in their lover's presence, neither wishing for this moment to end, "I love you," Yami whispered.

Yuugi leaned up to press a kiss to Yami's cheek, "I love you too."

The sound of a door opening and closing shattered their serene moment and drew them apart. There, standing in front of a familiar door, was Mana. Her puffy, red-rimmed eyes were already sporting trails of tears and she was holding a damp cloth up to her nose. When her brown eyes saw Yuugi and Yami, a broken hiccup racked her body and she opened the door. Dread clung to her like a heavy blanket.

"Yusei's waiting inside," she offered the statement in order to fill the tense silence, but it only added to the dreadful tension.

Never had Yuugi thought about his death, nor what it would be like once he visited the afterlife; however, he never expected death's door to look so friendly. Mana held the door to Yusei's room open for the pair as they stepped into the unsuspecting room. The familiar circle of colors and fabric, layered by the calming scents of herbs and ingredients spoke nothing of the loss that would soon befall its small company. Yuugi noticed that Yusei pulled the shades over all the windows, letting the only light be from the blue crystals on the walls. Once upon a time, the light used to be calming, but now it only added to the melancholy atmosphere.

Everything in the room was exactly as he remembered it: the sheer fabric hanging on the walls, the hammocks, bird cages, and herbs suspended from the pointed ceiling, the chest and shelves filled to the brim with more supplies and artifacts that Yuugi would never be able to understand, even the three couches and glass table were exactly as he remembered; however, the furniture had been pushed to the side of the room in order to make space for the large, round alter that had been decorated with countless blankets and pelts. Gems, furs, and colors of all kinds decorated the otherwise forboading alter, making it almost inviting to lay upon. Yuugi didn't fight as Yami set him down on the plush black bear pelt.

Yuugi kept his eyes locked on Yami as the elder stayed leaning over him, crimson eyes riddled with worry as he stared at the younger teen. Yuugi offered a small smile as he reached his hands upwards, but he was too weak. His hands stalled in the air, shaking with the effort that he needed to keep them suspended before they began to fall limp at his side. Yami, however, seemed to have caught on and caught one of Yuugi's hands before it hit the fur pelt. Gently, as if a single breath could shatter it, Yami brought Yuugi's hand to his mouth and placed a lingering kiss on the palm.

"Yami, Yuugi," Yami closed his eyes while Yuugi glanced over to Yusei. The Neko had his arms crossed as he stood away from the altar, allowing them some space, "I'm ready when you are," his voice was stoic, but his ocean eyes were conflicted with stormy emotions.

Yuugi took a shuddering breath and nodded, "Y-you don't have t-to be h-ere if y-you don't want-t," he offered the statement to anyone, but his eyes were settled on Yami who had yet to open his.

"I'm not going to leave your side," crimson eyes opened, revealing a fire that lit a life inside Yami that Yuugi hadn't seen in a while, "Ever."

Yuugi's vision blurred as he tried to swallow past the lump that was permanently in his throat. He smiled up at Yami, thankful that he would be here for the end, and caressed Yami's cheek with his thumb. The elder gasped out a shuddering breath when his lover continued the gentle caress, squeezed the smaller hand, and placed another chaste kiss to the soft flesh.

Yuugi didn't want to stop, but it took too much brain power to continue the action as he turned to look at Mana who had yet to calm her constant hiccups, "W-what ab-bout you?"

Mana chocked as more tears slipped past her dark eyelashes. Her tanned hand was covering his mouth and nose, but her eyes were burdened with the raw display of emotions. Her brown eyes were wide as her mind replayed what Yuugi could only guess were horrific memories, "I don't…" she shook her head and lowered her hand, "I can-"

"Y-you don't-t hav-ve to if it w-will hu-rt too much," Yuugi offered his friend one last escape. Just because he wasn't content to stay here, didn't mean that his friends had to suffer as well.

Mana looked torn as she looked from the door then back to Yuugi. He offered her nothing but support as she worked through the dilemma in her head. After another glance back tot he door, she let out a wail and rushed to Yuugi's side. He could tell that she wanted to scoop him up in a hug and never let him go, but with Yami so close by and his mind so unstable, she didn't want to risk it; instead, she settled with grabbing his free hand and cry into that for a few seconds.

"I'm so sorry, Yuugi! You've been such a good friend to me," she pulled back in order to look him in the eye, "I wish that I could have talked to you more, maybe hung out more often."

Yuugi squeezed her hand, "I-I happy th-at w-we were frie-nds."

Pain and remorse flashed through her brown eyes before she stood up and began to walk backwards. Their hands were still connected and their eyes were still locked: it wasn't until she had to release him that more tears welled in her brown gems and she hurried from the room. A pang of longing shot through Yuugi's heart as he watched her retreating form, but the last thing he wanted to do was have everything become too much for her.

Amethyst eyes turned back to crimson as they took in his every movement. So many thoughts and emotions passed wordlessly between them: neither could think of the right words to say. Not wanting to waste a single second with Yami, Yuugi rose off the altar a little, trying to get close to the other, but Yami pushed him back down and closed the distance himself. Both of their lips were shaking as they pressed, lighter than a whisper, onto the others. They were scared as they lingered together.

Yuugi pressed their lips closer, wanting to feel as much of Yami as he could, and was grateful when Yami pressed back. They parted and glanced at the other before reconnecting their lips together once more. Their was no sensual movements or proding for anything deeper, yet this was the most intimate that Yuugi had ever felt with Yami. Such a simple action and yet the emotions and hidden messages were enough to bring him to tears. When he felt foreign drops splash on his cheeks, he knew Yami felt the same.

The two pulled apart and Yami settled with resting his forehead against Yuugi's. The hand that still held Yuugi's began to rub against the shaking knuckles, but Yuugi got the feeling it was for more than his own comfort. Yami's eyes were closed as he continued to cry above Yuugi, his shoulders slouched, and his torso desperate to stay as close to his lover as possible. Yuugi only wished that he would open his eyes so he could watch them as they both wept together.

"Yami, it's time," Yusei's voice was like a gunshot.

"Wait," Yami's voice was unsteady.

"Yami-"

"I said, wait!" Crimson eyes shot open to glare at his friend who remained unfazed by the resentment thrown at him.

Yuugi drew his attention by caressing Yami's cheek. The elder's body shook as he returned his gaze back down to Yuugi, "I-It's time," Yuugi nodded.

Yami shuddered at the statement, then bowed his head. Shadows fell over his eyes as he reluctantly took a step back, but he refused to release Yuugi's hand from his own. Yuugi watched with pity as Yami's shaking form stood off to the side, the hand that was holding his was a vice grip. He squeezed back just as hard, trying his best to support his heartbroken lover.

Yusei stepped to the head of the altar and looked down at Yuugi, "It's a simple procedure: it won't even hurt," Yuugi nodded his head, "Would you like to know what is going to happen?" Yuugi shook his head. Yusei stared at him for a second.

 _Thank you._

Yuugi smiled back at the Neko who continued to stare at him with intent emotions. His black ears were pressed back against his head and his tail kept flicking to the side, but his face remained a neutral mask: only his eyes spoke of the inner turmoil. Yuugi knew that there was more that the other wanted to say -he himself had more than a lifetime of words to say to everyone he knew- but time was not on their side, nor was his memory. The longer they stalled, the less Yuugi remembered and the more his mind began to fray. It was a miracle that none of the creatures had come to bother him in his final hour, but he supposed that whatever god or goddess there was above was taking pity on him.

Yusei placed one hand on Yuugi's forehead and the other on Yuugi's chest. The teen took deep breathes to calm his racing heartbeat to try and make his friends job easier. There was a fuzzy sensation where Yusei's hands were, like soft volts of electricity were being pulsed inside his body. He flinched as the feeling began to grow. His chest felt like there was something pressing down into him, forcing him into the alter and ejecting the air from his lungs. Not only that, but a numbed jolt jumped through his brain and began to cut away at his thoughts. It was painful for a second, but only a second. Soon everything became soft and dull. Everything became fuzzy and all sensation left his body. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt warm.

His body felt light, lighter than air, and his brain felt as though it were floating in the clouds. His muscles relaxed and any weight of gravity was lifted off of him. He couldn't feel his hands or his legs, or any of the furs around him, but he could feel the pressure on his heart and mind as well as a welcoming warmth that encompassed his whole body. His mind slowed and his thoughts began to disappear.

Everything was so calm.

Everything was so peaceful.

He hadn't even noticed that his eyes were closed until he opened them. He was surrounded by beautiful colors. Everything sparkled like diamonds in the night sky. He was floating in an endless sea of stars. Beautiful. So beautiful.

Not even the two faint red stars obscured such a beautiful sky.

()

Yami never looked away. Not for one second. His eyes remained glued to Yuugi as his body relaxed and his eyes shut. For the first time since before he was crowned, Yuugi looked at peace with the world around him as though nothing had wronged him in any way; however, the serene moment was tainted when Yami noticed the color drain from his skin, the rise and fall of his chest began to slow, and the last tear slip past amethyst eyes which opened one last time.

They looked so peaceful and oblivious. The normally vibrant purple was dulled and hazy as though they were unable to focus on anything. When they landed on him, Yami froze. There was a smile on Yuugi's lips. Then the light finally faded and the hand that he held went limp.

Yami's breath hitched as Yusei rose his hands off of Yuugi's lifeless body. A soft white glow encompassed his fingers and as the Neko brought his hands together, the light drew itself together into a small, floating ball. Yusei faltered for a second before he blew on the ball of light and it disintegrated into the air as though it were dust in the wind.

Yami's heart ached as he watched every single light disappear.

Yusei set his hands down on the altar and leaned his weight against the sturdy table. His limbs were shaky as he held his body above Yuugi's. After a few heavy breaths, Yusei walked to the side of the altar, grabbed one of the blankets and covered the dead body.

Yami didn't release the cold hand until the obtrusive fabric touched his skin, nor did his eyes leave Yuugi's until they were covered by the white sheet. As soon as the blanket settled, Yami took a step back. His heart was pounding. His lungs strained for the air that he was denying them. His eyes stung as he fought back tears. His throat burned and his hands balled into fists.

Three.

They had taken away three.

They wouldn't take anymore.

Not able to take the sight of the lifeless body under the white sheet, Yami turned around and marched towards the door. His movements were robotic and stiff, as though he were forcing himself to move. In a way he was. Yami wanted nothing more than to lie down beside Yuugi, sleeping under that sheet of snow, and never leave. He didn't want to go back to the throne or trying to go back to Earth. Not even that was an escape anymore. There were too many reminders of Yuugi back there.

His family: how would he ever tell them what happened? How could he explain that their son and friend was dead? They didn't deserve such tragic news. No one did, and yet it was the truth. He could only imagine their distraught faces, their desperate wails, their broken hearts as the grim news was delivered. Perhaps it would be better if they never knew. Then again, the imagination could be even crueler than reality.

As Yami shut the door he noticed Mana curled on the floor, tiny hiccups slipping past her hands. She must have spotted him because she stood up and they shared a look. Slowly, she hobbled towards him before dragging him in a hug that Yami didn't return. It felt empty anyway.

The need for comfort pulsed off her body in waves as she clung to her friend. Yami wanted to return the gesture and he wanted to share in her tears. He wanted to hold her and help her through the pain -after all, she was just as familiar with this pain as he was- but he couldn't seem to muster up the emotion. Yami could feel it, the sadness, the rage, the loneliness, all pooling in his stomach and festering like a wound, but he couldn't bring it to the surface. Now was not the time. Now was not the place. He couldn't show anything here. They didn't deserve it. There was only one place that he felt safe in this world, and it was the only place that held those that mattered to him.

Mana was still clinging to him and Yami still didn't move. She was his friend after all, and they both had suffered a tragic loss. Luckily, Mana was strong and could bounce back from this. She could take the pain and move on. She had Yusei and her other friends. Yusei had his job and his mental strength. She would be fine. The Neko would be fine. Yami would not. Nothing could fill this black hole in his heart. Nothing could fill their space.

When she finally released him, her brown eyes locked onto his once more before she walked past him and into Yusei's room. Yami was all alone.

He needed to leave. The image of Yuugi's cold body lying under the sheet was still forefront in his mind and wouldn't leave. He couldn't handle it. It was too similar. Too similar to his mom… too similar to Atemu…

Yami began to walk again and while his shoulders were back and his head held high, he felt none of the confidence that the posture suggested; instead, a dark cloud hung around him and dripped with the grim feeling he donned. Anyone else who was in the halls scuttled away. They didn't know what happened, nor did they deserve to know, but they sure as hell weren't going to stop him.

Yami didn't care. He needed to leave the castle and it was better if no one else bothered him. He stopped as he was about to pass the door to his study. Crimson eyes watched the ebony door as though it were going to jump out at him. Should he…. He could just go without…. Yami growled as he stormed into the study.

The blue crystals only amplified the mood he was in. His eyes scanned the desk, but when the object he wasn't looking for wasn't there, he rushed over and shuffled through the drawers. His father never used it, but he always had it here. No matter how much he tried to hide it, it was just too precious: nothing could replace it. His heart leapt into his throat when Yami opened the bottom drawer. There, shoved in the back was a black box with a dragon engraved on top. It circled in on itself while its ruby eyes watched the holder of the box.

Yami paused as he held the box in his hands. It was one of the only things that his mother brought with her from her homeland. It was a beautiful piece of artistry, but the Lelanian councilmembers feared that it was too deadly and advised his father not to use it. Back then, Yami thought it was a dumb thought, but now he didn't give a damn.

Lifting the lid revealed a small, obsidian blade with a silver dragon head as the handle. There were flames stained into the stone, making it appear as though the dragon were spewing the blade from its mouth. It was beautiful and elegant in its rough lines, and yet smooth texture. Yami couldn't understand how the council members ever shunned it. After all, it was just a letter opener.

Tenderly grasping the handle of the blade, Yami stood up and set the box on the table. When he left the room, he didn't try hiding the opener from sight. No one would bother him anyway. They knew better.

The walk out of the castle was quiet, but the walk out of town was deadly. Passing Lelanian's gave him worried or concerned looks while others turned there nose up at him. He didn't care that he was walking around without any of his formal attire, not even the crown adorned his head, but what the hell would they do? Mock him? Like he cared. They never understood and now they never will.

Pity was tossed towards him before pale eyes were averted and he was left alone. How dare they act as though they understood. They never did and they never will. They never cared about what he thought, they only cared about their town and their goddess. Anything that was different was bad. Foreigners were bad. Other religions were bad. Humans were bad. There was only one place in this town where _bad_ things were allowed.

The path was familiar to him and one that he walked down almost every day of his life here. The spare, dull lamps, the abandoned buildings, the withered cobblestone road, any sign of life faded around him as he left the town and out of the reach of the blue lights. All that was here was grey. The grass stretched on forever like a grey ocean and the wind whipping around him was the only sound. No music, no people, no life. All was forgotten here, yet it was the most peaceful place.

Yami slowed his pace as he walked along the grass, closer and closer to the lone pile of rocks. It was so much colder here than the rest of Lelania and the wind kept most of the life away from here. Not even the glorean could overtake this melancholy meadow.

When he finally reached the small grave, a wave calm washed over him. The emotions in his stomach began to settle and Yami dropped to his knees, "Hey, mom…" he whispered. He chocked as he stared at the grave, his throat beginning to constrict. For a second his facade broke and he allowed his words to catch in his throat, "Hey, Atemu…"

He let silence stretch between them with only to raging waves to fill in the gaps. Yami had to look away, "I… I'm sorry. For everything, but," crimson eyes glanced back at the grey stones, "I hope you aren't too mad at me," he paused as his voice tightened, "Yuugi will be joining you here. I know the priests and council won't allow him a proper burial," Yami released a shuddering breath, "He's nice, and I know we would have all gotten along," Yami cracked a somber smile, "His body may be here, but I hope his spirit can find his way back to Earth," he shook his head and lowered his eyes to his lap, "No one should be trapped here."

Yami clutched the blade in his hand, "I don't think I'll ever understand how all of you loved this place," he shook his head, "But I can't hate any of you for it," he grit his teeth in anger, "I can only hate them," the fist around the blade tightened its grip on the obsidian until the blade cut his flesh. Pulling his pale hand away, Yami watched as a thin trail of crimson blood traveled down the cracks in his palm and drip onto the grey grass.

Crimson eyes were blank as he stared at the fallen blood, "They will never take me. They can't keep me trapped here," Yami rose his head to look towards the cliff where the waves crashed against the obsidian face, "They won't bury me with you, but they will forget about me. It doesn't matter," his eyes fell back to the grave, "because all those I care about already remember me."

Finally, Yami stood off the ground, "Please don't hate me for this. I just don't want to do this anymore."

He began to walk away from the grave and drew closer and closer to the cliff. The wind was bitter here and carried the freezing mist from the raging sea below. Yami shivered as a cold wind pierced his skin, but he stood tall. He wasn't afraid.

Glancing down at the blade, Yami rose his wrist to the cold metal, "They hated me for my blood, just like they hated all of you for your blood," he didn't flinch when the blade pierced his skin and drew a fresh stream of blood. He switched hands and cut his other wrist, "All our blood is the same, no matter how much they preach," Yami stabbed the blade into the ground and stepped on the edge off the cliff. Small rivers of his blood streamed down his hands and stained the ground at his feet. Slowly, he turned around so he could see the grave. A small smile pulled his lips as he imagined Atemu, Yuugi, and his mother, standing there, together, watching him. He couldn't tell if they were disappointed or not, but his mind was set, "I'll see you soon."

Taking a step backward, Yami never felt any fear. There was no anger or fear or doubt, there was only the wind on his back, the mist on his face and the waves down below. His eyes remained staring up at the sky, up at the blue speckled ceiling and the three faces watching him from the edge.

It was peaceful as the world seemed to stand still, the past and the future were washed away with the waves, leaving only the present. His heart was pounding but his mind wasn't thinking. Yami's eyes stung with tears that he didn't bother holding back. They floated past his face and were swept was with the wind.

He was light as air and free as the wind. Nothing could trap him now.

As he watched his loved ones disappear over the cliff, Yami swore he felt arms embrace him. He smiled.

He never felt when his body hit the water. Only the sweet release of his soul leaving his body and his blood staining the water red.

He was free.

 **The End**

(Koobre: Woo, I didn't want to post this before Christmas because I knew this would be sad, but I wanted to finish this before the new year. I'm sorry if this ending took a darker twist than what you were expecting, but it was what seemed fitting. To be honest, I was still uncertain of how to end this until about a month ago. Plans change you know?

Despite the sad ending, I loved this story. Did I have my ups and downs? Do I believe I could do things a lot better? Fluff yes, but I am happy with what I made considering it was just me, myself and I working on this. Please let me know what you guys thought of this because I would love to hear it.

As for my next story, I am planning to re-write my poor, forgotten _Darkened Eyes_. This time, however, it will be shorter, revised, better, and under its original title _Sober_. I think I'm finally happy with what I have brewing for it. That being said, I may post a short, 3 chapter werewolf story.

Also, if you want the song that helped inspire this story, just put the title "Sick of Losing Soulmates" into youtube and you'll find it.

Thank you so much for staying with this story, and I hope it ave you joy, despite how it ended. Let me know what you thought in a review and happy new year!)


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